The Chronicles of Ouendan
by White-Jet
Summary: Chapter 17: After failing to get Ryuta off Hajime's hands, the followers feel they had no choice but to expel him from the squad in order to give their leader a fighting chance. Little did they realize the plan they had in mind would go so horribly wrong
1. Episode 1: Working Around Hindrance

Author's Note: I apologize for taking so long to put this up, I had a few plots that needed ironing out before they either made sense or didn't seem too rushed.

Anyway, _Cronicles of Ouendan_ is a semi-alternate prequal to _Life of an Agent_. I say semi-alternate because there will be some plots that may not _properly_ answer the questions that might be raised from reading _Life of an Agent_. Also, please note that _Cronicles of Ouendan_ is an _exaggeration_ on my point of view of how the Ouendan came to be who they are today (Even though I know I'm not the only one who comes up with a backstory to their formation). And finally, as I have always said in _Three is Company_, I hardly know much about Japanese culture and language, and get most of my resources from _My Japanese Coach_, the Internet, GameFAQs, and AnimeLab.

Episode 1: Working Around Hindrance

Woops and cheers fill a nightclub deep in New York as lights and disco balls flashed a variety of different colors. The music blares loudly in the club as everyone dances and boogies to its rhythmic beat and singing. A DJ stands in the booth hanging against the wall of the club, scratching the record to let them know he's about to change songs.

Among the crowd of young men and women stood a couple, wearing black, government like suits, with a feisty, wily attitude and moves that could make even the most flexible dancer look stiff. One of them is a male, most likely in his late thirties, with short, bushy hair under a gray fedora, wearing green wayfarers. The second is female; five years younger; her dreadlocks, tied high behind her head, are estimated to reach her back. She wears a pair of dove-shaped specks over her eyes, a large pair of clamshell headphones with an iPod strapped to her belt, and, unlike her male partner, she wore black chaps over very short cutoff jeans and a small shirt that exposed her slim belly.

"Whoa! Look at them move!" one of the spectators gasps when the male grabs his opposite and pulls her into a dip, "It's like they're cats or somethin'!"

"What kind of exercise do they do every morning?" another asked, "Cause I wanna try it myself!"

"You couldn't stand their training if you was the toughest person on the planet," chuckles a third bystander. He appears shorter and chubbier than the spectacle on the dance floor; his hair sleek and shoulder long, tied back in a tight ponytail. He wore square-rimmed, large shades with dark blue lenses, "What they do is dangerous, but it helps them flex out their muscles and prepare them for the day ahead."

"Oh? What kind of dangerous things do they do during the day?" The first bystander asked.

"Seven years ago, you wouldn't consider it a job. But when we came onboard, many people knew and called for us every day. That's what keeps us flexed and healthy."

"What!? You mean they're...!?"

"Yep, you're looking at the top ranking members of the Elite Beat Agents, the No.1 support group in America. If ever you're in trouble and you have no way of staring it down, give these guys a scream and they'll come runnin' down to help ya."

* * *

"Wow, Twist! That was fun!" the woman exclaims as she and the two men walked through the door into a brightly lit hallway, "I wish we could do this all day!"

"You forget, Twirl," Twist, the tall man chuckles, "We can do this everyday. It's our job, remember?"

"Oh yeah, that's right, isn't it?" Twirl giggles, "I get so wrapped up in this sorta thing that I keep forgettin' why we became Agents to begin with!"

"I see you three have been hitting the clubs again," said a voice. The three turn to see an elderly man wearing a commander's outfit walk towards them. He wore dark green shades and sports a short, rough mustache. He stops a few feet from them and takes a moment to survey their appearances, "Agents Twist, Twirl, and Techno."

"Aw, we can't help it, Commander Kahn," Twist chuckles, "We're so hyped up that we wanna spend the rest of the day dancin' our rears off."

"And thus, I am reminded of why I made the decision to bring you into our agency," Kahn says with a smile, "You three are always energetic and eager to help anyone who calls on you."

"Yep! That's us, alright!" Twirl says as she places her index and middle finger on her lips and blew a kiss.

"You always have a keen eye for finding people worthy of using their talents to lift the pressure off people's shoulders," Twist says.

"And to this, we thank you for choosing us from a roster of other dancers who could be just as helpful," Techno began, "With some heavy practicing."

Twirl groans as she rubs the back of her head, "Yeah, that's what gets me, y'all. There ain't a whole lot of people who'd wanna risk a harsh training regimen just to get the pleasure of encouraging others to fight their problems. So far, the only people we've got who can tolerate the training is the new Diva unit I arranged last year."

"I know it's rough, given we don't have much to simulate on," Kahn sighs, "But when we raise enough funds and experience, we will invest in something that could help us get used to anything that might distract us from our main goal."

"Oooh! You mean like the holodeck in those Star Trek shows!?" Twirl squeals.

"If we can find the technology to build one," Kahn says.

Twist and Twirl threw their arm around one another while throwing their fists into the air, Twirl bending her left knee upwards, "Righteous! We get to play in our very own holodeck!"

"It does sound like fun, doesn't it?" asks a voice from behind Kahn. Everyone turns to see a young girl with wavy, blonde hair and a beauty mark on her lower left lip; wearing orange, transparent shades, red, western-themed halter top and wristbands; red chaps over her white short-shorts; and black, high-heel boots.

"Hey, Anna-chan!" Twirl pipes up, letting go of Twist and walking over to her, "Glade to see you're eagerness in expanding our equipment! This' gonna be fun!"

"Oh, that reminds me," Twist began, walking over to Anna, "How's your throat? I overheard Vixen and Liza mention you've been having trouble breathing in the past few weeks."

Anna sighs a bit as she rubs her throat, "After that last mission, I'm not so sure. I'm heading down to the doctor right now to make sure it's nothing serious."

She walks past the group before hearing anything else. It was obvious she was fretting the worst and didn't want anyone to encourage her to think of something else. Twirl sighs a bit as she crosses her arms.

"Poor girl," she said, "She's the most enthusiastic Diva on the team. I'd hate to see her go."

"Well, if anything else," Twist began, "She still has those cheerleading competitions to keep her fame up."

"Fame ain't nothin' if you don't add a little spice to it," Techno snorts, "Bein' third from the top in cheerleader competitions only nets you an icon to be inspired or hated. It don't make you feel anymore better about how you use your talents, that's my opinion."

"I suppose you're right," Twirl says, "But the way she's been acting lately, I have a feeling her condition is far worse than just a sore throat."

"It may be," Kahn said, "I have an inkling we may wind up losing one of our best Divas."

* * *

Anna sticks her tongue out as a doctor places a stick on it.

"Say 'ah'," he orders. Doing as told, Anna bellows a soft, almost raspy sound that caused the doctor to cringe.

"Hmm...." he mutters as he takes the stick out, "How long have you've had this throat problem?"

"About a month," Anna mutters, swallowing hard, "In the last year since I joined Elite Beat Agents, I've never had this kind of problem happen to me."

The doctor hums again as he caresses Anna's throat, "We may need to run an x-ray of your throat to determine what the problem is. Judging from the sound of your swallowing, it may require surgery to remove."

"Surgery!?" Anna exclaims, "But...but if something happens to my throat, I'll be kicked out of the agency!"

"It's either surgery, or you suffocate," the doctor said, sternly, "You don't want to die so young, do you?"

Anna groans as she drops her head between her shoulders, "No...I don't...."

"Then if it comes down to surgery, you will have to accept the side effects and figure out a way to work around them."

Anna sighs in worry as she slips off and heads out of the room.

* * *

"I'm really worried about Anna," Twirl sighs as she sat in the mess hall, running her fork along an untouched plate of spaghetti and meatballs, "I don't want Anna to quit if there's something seriously wrong with her throat. She's one of our most respected allies."

"Don't worry so much," Twist chuckles as he sits back in his chair and sips a cup of herbal tea, "Anna ain't a quitter. She may sound different than before, but it's not going to hamper her ability to perform. She'll be just fine."

"Maybe.... But I'm mainly worried about the Commander. If what Anna has destroys her ability to perform to his expectations, he might push her to the sidelines and recruit another Diva to take her place."

Twist prepares to say something to counter Twirl's worry when he's suddenly interrupted by an unwelcomed voice.

"If you ask me, we were better off without her," huffs a voice. Both "T"s turn to see two girls, dressed in the same outfit as Anna, walk into the room with smug grins on their faces.

The one who spoke, Vixen, had red, short hair with gold stars hanging off her ears, wearing orange, see through shades. The second, Liza, appeared twice as smug, with long, dark blue hair hanging down to her back, and a red, ridiculously large ribbon tied to the top of her head.

"The Commander made a bad choice choosing _her_ to be third banana to us," Liza muses, "All because her speech moved him to tears."

"Why'd you choose now to doubt the Commander's decision?" Twirl asks, trying to contain her frustration over the Diva's lack of faith in Anna, "If you'd just give her a chance instead of treating her like your personal verbal punching bag, you'd realize just how reliable she can be."

"I could rely on her as far as I can thrust my hips," Vixen tsks, "Why do you think she ranked third in the American Cheerleader competition? Anna says she would use her performance and fame to lift the spirits of anyone who see her. But after spending a year watching how she achieves that goal, practicing to achieve her wish of making everyone happy, that little 'tear-jerker' seemed nothing more like talk than motivation."

"Haven't you noticed how hard she works to please everyone she encourages?" Twist asks with a shrug, "Even when she comes home late with little to no time to rest, she puts it at the bottom of her to-do list to respond to a mission."

"How hard she worked?" Vixen snorts, "Have you seen what she does the moment she's relieved of her duties for the day? She snatches one of our vehicles and runs off to Japan 'til the dead of night, then spend most of the day sleeping off her experience. She may as well be born there, using her third-rate cheerleading skills to teach some high school girls to perform to a random sports event."

Twirl frowns in frustration as Vixen and Liza turn their backs to her and Twist, "I don't know about you, or care for that matter, but I'll be glad when Anna loses her voice for good. Maybe then we'll find someone who can do a much better job at sticking to her achievements than use it as an excuse to take advantage of EBA's international tunnels."

The two then saunter into the kitchen to pester the chefs for lunch. Twirl gets up, about to storm after them when Twist grabs her arm.

"Yo, cool the rage, Honey-bun," Twist laughs, "Those two couldn't separate a happy dawg from a sad one if they stared at their tails for hours. You shouldn't let their criticism over Anna get to you."

Twirl sighs as she flops back on her chair, "I'm sorry, dear. I'm just agitated that nearly everyone in the agency can go about, acting on what they see like they were some fortune teller lookin' into a crystal ball."

"That's 'cause they haven't been here as long as we have," Twist says, reassuringly, "Give them a few years, they'll simmer down and come to terms with the reality of maintaining peace and sincerity through song and dance. Then they won't be actin' like they can be some kind of God decidin' how everyone should live."

Twirl sighs again as she goes back to playing with the lone meatball sticking out of her spaghetti. Little did they realize Anna standing outside the doors of the mess hall, trembling in distraught over everything she heard from her intimidating superior Divas.

* * *

It was a bright, sunny afternoon in Japan as Anna drives the EBA convertible down the busy streets of Tokyo. She takes every moment to admire all that she loved about the small nation, knowing this could be her last visit before the dreaded surgery that may end her chances of showing the world she was more than a simpleton cheerleader who won 3rd in the American Cheerleader competition last year.

Vixen and Liza were right about one thing, she has manipulated EBA's international tunnels to go to Japan whenever she finds the opportunity, spending little time practicing for missions and more time finding new souvenirs to bring back to her quarters. But she also has a huge heart, putting the welfare of those who call for them before taking a meager stroll down the land of the rising sun; something that netted her more confidence and respect from the veteran Agents than her two superiors. It would be sad to walk away from them when she is eventually relieved of her duties in favor of someone who has much better vocal stamina than her.

Anna's train of thought immediately melts away when she comes across a festival taking up most of the street she's driving down. The sight of distant floats preparing for a race immediately excites her.

"Eee! It's a Matsuri!" she squeals, "I knew there'd be a silver lining in my numbering days! I gotta check it out and get as many souvenirs as possible!"

She immediately parks the convertible on the next street over and skips over to the festival to enjoy all the games, food, and parades it has to offer.

Three games, several prizes, and a cat mask later, Anna has already covered half of the festival and is still ecstatic to see more. But as she prepares to tour the rest of the Matsuri, she comes across a scene near the starting line of the float race.

Two people wearing different happi coats and gender are in the midst of proposing to each other. The black, spiky haired boy wears a blue coat while the brown haired, ponytailed girl wears a red coat.

"Shizu-chan!" the boy began, "**When I win the Mikoshi race, I'll propose to you.**"

"Shin-chan...." Shizu sighs lovingly before a voice interrupts their tender moment.

"**You dare say such a speech before you compete against me?**"

The two turn to see an elderly man with shaggy, gray hair stand before them, wearing the same coat as Shizu.

"**Father!**" Shizu yelps.

"**Father-in-law!**" Shin gulps.

The old man laughs halfheartedly, "**Father-in-law you say...? Go ahead and say that jargon when you out beat us!**"

As if on cue, a group of men appear behind him; the Neighboring Town's Robust Group; all just as old as him, but twice as buff. Shin is less than intimidated by the stance they strut.

"**I won't lose to you!**" he declares before looking to his supporting shrine carriers, "**Right guys!?**"

Unfortunately, what passes for supporters had turned tails and fled, leaving him alone in the middle of the arcade like a loon. Shizu's father laughs in smitten confidence of Shin's abandonment.

"**Seems confidence came a little 'too late', eh?**" he muses while his daughter stands by, watching helplessly as Shin hung his head down low in dying hope.

Anna frowns in complete shock over what she was just witnessing. During the times she spent in EBA, Japan remained the only country that didn't scream for their help. Sure, there were a few blips of distress on the international maps in the EBA garage, but they all vanish within a second of showing up. Because of this, everyone assumed the Japanese community was too confident and high-spirited to accept help from an overseas organization.

But when seen up close, as of right now, Anna gets a slap of reality in the form of witnessing one of them about to lose his cool under pressure.

Distraught over the thought of losing his one true girlfriend, Shin hangs his head low while muttering in desperation.

"O...."

Why hasn't he called for help yet? Anna wonders to herself. She was aware of the fact that most of the Japanese community doesn't speak 100 percent English, but c'mon, even the most lacking in American linguistics would know that "help" means to call for someone else's aide! That's why EBA focused on the word when they organized this agency; so the entire world can understand and know that someone is watching over them, ready to jump in and encourage them to continue fighting for what they truly want.

Shin's trembling increases as he grits his teeth in more desperation, "O...."

As she continues to mull in her own thoughts, she begins to wonder if the real reason those blips on the map keep disappearing is because the distress has given up their fight; spending the rest of their life questioning why they even bothered to achieve such an impossible goal when no one was around to encourage them to continue.

Just bringing up this assumption made her blood boil in that EBA hadn't investigated this situation further, and THOUGHT Japan wasn't linguistically aware that a simple word was all they needed to shout in order to send a trio of motivators to dig them out of the grave they had been shoved into.

Well Anna is going to change all that right now! She will first encourage Shin to shout "help", then spread EBA's will to motivate the world to the rest of the Matsuri so they can tell their family and friends, and convince them to try calling for them when the chips are down with no way for them to pick them back up.

Just as she was preparing to confront Shin, however, he suddenly rears his head back, and screams at the top of his lungs.

_**OUENDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!!!**_

Anna screeches to a halt upon hearing him scream that word. Before she could figure out why, three men in Japanese school uniforms popped out of three different stands tailored towards food.

The first man on the left had black, sleek hair and an eyepatch covering his right eye, seeming to be in the midst of preparing Okonomiyaki. The second man on the right has a large, blond Mohawk and sideburns cut away from it; he appears to be in the midst of making fried rice. The last man in the center has a large, reddish-brown, complicated-looking topknot covering his head and a red bandana; a red band wraps around his arm with the crest of a star-like symbol and the kanji for "cheer" written over it distinguishes him as the leader; he is seen in the midst of making crepe.

Shizu suddenly perks up as the race gets underway, watching as Shin and his competing racer take their place at the starting line.

"**You can do it, Shin-chan!**" she shouts with encouragement that only made her father laugh in more smitten confidence.

"**At this rate, I'll lose....**" Shin mutters in the midst of surrendering to the jaws of defeat.

At the moment the race starts, the three men appear behind Shin and shout "osu" as a way of grabbing his attention. The split second the sound reaches his ear an invigorating sensation burns within his soul, fueling him with confidence and encouragement.

Determined to win the race he pulls up his sleeves, grabs the handles of his Mikoshi shrine and makes a mad-dash to catch up, and outrun, the group of muscular elders lead by Shizu's father.

Anna looks between the neck-and-neck race, and the men who shouted at Shin, seeing them throwing off some kind of arm swinging, punch-throwing, upper-body-pivoting, foot-stomping performance to the rhythm of J-Pop that is further fueling the motivation burning within his heart.

These long-tailed, gakuran-donning men are using almost the exact same methods that EBA uses when they're called out to motivate someone in need; the performance, the music, the shout, could they be some kind of super secret unit that Kahn created to appease to the Japanese Community?

As she continues watching the race move through the aisles of the Matsuri, several other participants, school girls, elderly, even American visitors saw what was going on, abandoned their stuff and rushed over to help the ailing racer haul the float while bowling over his opponent in the process.

The sight of it rekindles her will to get back on the field, no matter what outcome results from the tumor that would eventually strip her of continuing her service to the cheering organization. Perhaps she can convince Kahn to let her join this super secret unit once her uses has been snatched from her hands to be given to whoever Vixen prods into joining the Diva unit.

With the efforts of the aptly named "Ouendan", Shin manages to outrun Shizu's father and cross the finish line, throwing a victory sign as he did.

"**You did it, Shin-chan!**" Shizu shouts with excitement while her father curses under his breath.

Later that night, Shin approaches Shizu, holding her hands up as they lock together.

"**Will you marry me?**" he asked.

"**Yes, with pleasure!**" Shizu replies happily.

Equally happy is her father who cries for joy, "**What a blessing for those two rascals!**"

Tossing the soon-to-be newly weds onto the Mikoshi, he and the other participants in the race begin parading down the aisle, "**Let's go, you guys!**"

The Ouendan, meanwhile, were too busy breaking down their stand to watch the rest of the festivities. While the followers collapsed the stands and gathered the ingredients for the food they made, the leader heads off to the other side of the city where he finds a black convertible sitting on the curb with a yellow star painted on the center of the front hood, and the steering wheel oddly placed in the middle of the front seat instead of either the left or right side.

Aside from the odd position of the driver's seat, there were a bunch of complicated looking buttons and monitors surrounding the dashboard, one of them, near the steering wheel, seems to be acting like some kind of video screen for something.

Before he could ponder more about where the car came from, he sensed someone approaching and turns to see Anna heading down the block with an arm full of souvenirs she bought at the Matsuri. Upon seeing him, she immediately squeals with excitement before rushing over to him.

Flabbergast, the leader turns to put up defenses only to be met by a small mountain of souvenirs and the left half of her blonde hair flying into his face as she threw her arms around him.

"**You were AMAZING!!!**" Anna squeals again, nearly squeezing the life out of him before letting go and forcing him to catch her stuff.

The leader stares that the souvenirs cradled in his arms, many of them common junk anyone could've picked up at an old trade shop. He picked up a bag of five goldfish swimming around the water provided while Anna pulls the trunk open.

"**I can't believe the Commander didn't mention you before!**" she rambles on while pulling the souvenirs from the leader's arms and tossing them inside, "**A unit dedicated solely to the Japanese Community.... Forget waiting until I get replaced by whatever naïve, freckle-faced teenager Vixen and Liza bully into joining the Diva unit! I wanna be transferred to this super secret unit NOW!**"

The leader stares at her like she was crazy as she shuts the trunk and saunters over to the driver's seat, "**I don't blame the Commander for not wanting to mention this Ouendan unit. After all, the Diva unit has only just been molded into shape a year ago with so few brave enough to muscle their way through the hostile training and set out to save people from depression and surrender. It's not surprising he wouldn't bring you up, knowing I'd rush to get in and abandon my less than fellow Divas.**"

Anna hops into the driver's seat, about to turn on the ignition when she looked behind her and saw the leader just standing on the curb with six bags of water in his arms, each containing between 3-5 different species of fish.

"**Well? C'mon! You gonna get in or not?**" she asked, rather impatiently, "**I know it's late at night, but you still gotta send your report to the Commander, don't you?**"

The leader's frown tightens a bit in confusion over what he had just walked into as he looks between the convertible, back towards the Matsuri, and down the street where he was originally supposed to be heading.

If it were any normal person, they would've just called her loony and walked off. But something about her spirit was making him hesitate to even say anything regarding her confusing mess of Japanese jargon, or simply walk away and see how she'll react. Reluctantly, he climbs into the backseat of the convertible and waits for her to start up the engine and drive off to wherever it was she was going to take him.

End Notes:

1. No, I don't think Anna was a Diva before she joined the Ouendan. That was just a "what if" thought that I decided to stick in just for the sake of expressing my view of how she became the only American to join the squad.  
2. A Matsuri is a seasonal festival originally dedicated to the cultivation of rice, the appease of the spirits and gods, and ensuring a bountiful, agricultural year.  
3. Mikoshi s a lavish Shinto shrin dedicated to housing the spirits of the local deity, designed to be carried by locals as part of a parade and a race through the arcades of the Matsuri and other neighborhoods.  
4. Yes, I'm aware this isn't the first stage in the game. But since the only way to figure out who goes first is by accessing High School in the Option's menu, I didn't feel there was any need to start with Tsuyoshi first.


	2. Episode 2: The Tragic End

Episode 2: The Tragic End

Anna drives the convertible down the streets of Tokyo, musing more over what she would do once she gets transferred to the elusive "Ouendan unit". She'd probably have to wear a stuffy gakuran uniform and learn to follow along an aggressive cheerleading performance, but if this is what it takes to get into this unit, by golly she would go the mile!

The leader of the "Ouendan unit" continues to sit in the back, arms crossed and his left ankle resting on his right knee. He appears to be dozing off from the long day he had hustling with the Matsuri, along with performing to a Mikoshi racer who called for their help, then being haggled into the car of someone who, by his definition, is just going to be some interesting excuse to explain why he didn't come back to help his followers load up and head home.

After what seemed like a couple hours, he feels the car come to a slow stop. Opening one eye, he finds they had entered some rundown, unstable pagoda somewhere in the ghost town of Tokyo. It looked like it could collapse any second, making it too hazardous for anyone to even think of driving in.

A pole with a keypad pops up in front of Anna as she reaches over, punches in the number, and presses the yellow star below it.

Suddenly, he feels a jostles as the car begins sinking into the cracked, stone floor. As it passes over their body, the leader notices several holographic projectors surrounding the bottom of the pagoda.

Following the projectors are rings of florescent lights shining a light blue every passing minute, giving off a more futuristic feel to the new area.

Within moments, the elevator stops in front of a large tunnel with two rows of lights shining overhead and windows exposing the dark waters of the Pacific Ocean.

The leader observes the many sea animals swimming around as the convertible drives down the tunnel a couple hours before arriving at a large, steel gate with a large, gold star in the center, further distinguishing it as the symbol of this Elite Beat agency.

Anna punches in another set of numbers on the keypad beside her, causing the gate to slide open with a surprisingly silent scrap along the frame and reveal, what's considered to be, the largest garage ever seen. At least two of each vehicle makes up most of the floor, supposedly for use by two different units. The black convertibles appear to be the most popular judging by the amount of mileage clocked on the meter.

Only one stood out from the rest of the twin vehicles, a red, antique convertible with some minor modifications to the engine and interiors to help it perform better. This suggests one of the units wants to be original with their choice of wheels.

Anna parks the convertible beside its identical twin before climbing out and heading to the trunk to retrieve her new souvenirs. The leader watches before turning his focus to the monitors surrounding the dome-shaped ceiling, representing the upper equator of the planet with several dots flashing around the area. Japan remains the only country that hasn't had dots lasting more than a couple flashes before disappearing; further explaining why this Elite Beat Agents would think they have some super secret unit that only the Commander knew about.

"Okay!" Anna quips as she shuts the trunk with her foot, revealing the small mountain of stuff she bought at the Matsuri, "**First we'll head to my quarters to drop off my new décor, then we'll head down to the mess hall for a small, snack; I'm sure you're hungry after all that work earlier. And then we can head over to the Command Room so we can discuss the transfer over to your unit.**"

The leader stares at her expressionlessly before gathering the six bags of fish and climbing out of the convertible to follow after her.

* * *

After walking down identical halls for nearly two minutes, Anna stops in front of one of the matching doors on the left hand-side of the room. Shifting through her stuff, she manages to reach into her short-shorts pocket and pull out a gray wallet, flipping it open to reveal a license with a grayscale photo of her below a transparent star, and the initials "BD-3" written over it. Below the card is a pure gold, police-like badge with a wreath curved under it and the words "EBA CENTRAL" etched below the bulging, angular star.

Anna sticks the badge on a panel shaped like it, causing the keypad above to automatically flash a third set of numbers before the door slides upwards, revealing the interior of the room behind it, which shockingly depicts just how obsessed she was with Japan.

Nearly every corner of the room was filled with Japanese plush toys and other odds and ends she could drag out of Japan, further piled on by the recent souvenirs she got from the Matsuri. There was even a Japanese flag acting as the curtains over her window; it was surprising she can still speak English the way she's expressing her interest to the land of the rising sun.

The leader had dealt with international Japanese fanatics, but she is beyond worship. He was almost sure she'd have a cryogenic capsule somewhere to lock him in if she doesn't get what she wants out of him.

Anna soon saunters over to him after piling more of her stuff into an empty corner of the room, taking all of the fishes and pouring them into a moderate-looking aquarium on the wall adjacent to her bed. Once that was done, she grabs his wrists and pulls him back down the hallway.

"**Let's go, let's go!**" she squeals, "**I wanna hurry up and get transferred before someone calls for us and gives the Commander an excuse to deny your existence!**"

Though caught by surprise of her sudden yank, the leader remains nonchalant as he is, once again, led down her path to wherever she's taking him now.

* * *

The mess hall seemed to be a mixture between French and Asian themed cuisine, with a karaoke stage at the far end of the room, and a kitchen adjacent to it where the chefs are currently busy cooking up their respected meals.

The leader sits at one of the tables with a turntable sitting in the center, arms crossed as he waits, still nonchalantly, for Anna to come back with whatever meal she asks the chefs to make.

"Soup's on!" Anna chirps as she skips back out with a dessert plate in each hand, "**Today's special, Peach Short Cake.**"

She wastes no time placing them down on the table and taking a seat opposite the leader to eat her share.

The moment the leader looks down at his plate, his frown tightens in bewilderment. Not only did the cake smell like Japanese peach, it actually looked like it, right down to the peach-flavored icing, the size, and the leaves surrounding it. Yet there's a fork sitting beside it, which begs the question of whether he should pick it up and eat it whole or cut it in half to see if there's a pit made of chocolate inside.

"Mmm! So good!" Anna muffles. The leader looks up to see her using her fork to cut small pieces and stick them in her mouth.

Before he could decide what to do first, he hears the doors slide apart and turns his head to see Vixen and Liza waltzing towards them with smug looks on their faces. It was obvious they were enjoying what they were seeing, but not in the way that would be shared by the rest of the onlookers.

"Well, well, well. What have we here?" Vixen muses as she and Liza surround the leader, "I knew you would be off in Japan, looking for more souvenirs to cram into your quarters, but I didn't think you'd actually snag yourself a real life Japanese person." She leers at Anna whose glaring back at her while swallowing another slice she cut from her cake, "You definitely need help with your obsession. It could jeopardize the entire planet."

"Go away, Vixen, I'm not in the mood to hear you look for more excuses to make me quit," Anna growled as she continues eating her peach cake. The two only laugh snidely and crowd around the leader, who just eyes them as he remains neutral with his arms still crossed.

Vixen grabs the back of his chair and yanks it into a tilt, barely causing him to flinch from the jolt, "I'm amazed you were even able to sit properly on something that's higher than your ankles." She then puckers lips, spitting baby talk into his face, "Did Mama Anna have to teach you how?"

The leader doesn't give her anything more than a tighter frown, his arms still crossed. Liza stoops into his viewpoint, pointing towards the chair.

"That thing you are sitting on is called a 'ch-a-i-er'," she describes like a kindergarten teacher, "The 'ch-a-i-er' has special features called a 'back res-t' and 'le-gs', so you do not hurt yourself while you are sitting."

Vixen throws the chair back into on all fours, nearly sending the leader into the peach cake but manages to stop himself just before his head snapped forward, as she picks up the fork from the side of the clover-shaped bowl.

"And we do not use chopsticks when we eat," Vixen explains in the same snide, discriminatory tone as Liza while waving the fork in the leader's face, "We use this utensil called a 'fo-r-k'. You stab this into food to pick it up."

Anna slaps her hands on the table and shoots up from her seat, thoroughly irate.

"Knock it off you two!" she exclaims, "It's bad enough that you're trying to turn the entire agency against me by claiming I do nothing but go to Japan every chance I get! But I'm not going to stand here and let you bully the Commander's super secret unit into rejecting me just so you'll have more excuses to make my life a living nightmare!"

Vixen and Liza just stare at her before bursting out into a hysterical laugh-fest that angered Anna even further.

"The Commander's super secret unit!?" Vixen gasps between laughs, "Why would he want to waste his time tending to a bunch of unevolved antiques!?"

"What!?"

"Oh don't act like you've never been there before! We've seen how Japan is with their little paper houses and wooden furniture so short they had to sit on the ground in order to eat off them. The only reason they don't call us when they're in trouble is because they're too primitive to understand how far America has evolved since the invention of brick walls."

The leader's frown tightens even more before alarms suddenly went off around the kitchen.

"All available Agents report to the Command Room at once!" the voice calls over the intercom, "There is a dire situation that must be attended to immediately."

Vixen and Liza's smug smirk widen as they leer at Anna, who's rubbing her throat from the yelling she did earlier.

"Oooh, it's dire," Vixen coos in a taunting tone, "Hope you rested well, _Anna-chan_. 'Cause the Commander won't be happy if he found out you spent the whole night down in Japan, looking for more souvenirs for your little quarters."

Anna muffles a hoarse growl as she watches Vixen and Liza saunter out of the kitchen, laughing at her recent misfortune. She wants to tell them off for continually harassing with assumptions that she was nothing but deadweight to their "proud little unit", but with the need for air growing shallower with the increase of her throat tumor, she could hardly muster the strength to push away the put downs and insults she endured over the past year.

She notices the leader stare at her in concern despite the blank expression in his face, realizing she had been instinctively massaging her throat in an unconscious attempt to ease the swelling of her tumor. Shaking in distraught, she tore her hand off and slams both of them on the table.

"**I'm fine! Just leave me alone!**" she yells, surprisingly startling the leader as she turns and storms out the door, leaving him alone in the kitchen with his untouched peach cake.

* * *

"What do you mean he can't take me to the prom!?" Alana exclaims after hearing the dreaded answer from her parents, "I already told you, he's a smart boy! He just likes dabbling in punk music!"

"I'll be he's smart," the father snorts, "Smart enough to lure you out of the prom in the dead of night and into a hotel room just so he can rape and murder you for pleasure."

"He's not like that, Dad!" Alana retorts, "He just likes listening to punk music and dressing up like one! He would never join a punk gang or deal with those icky things!"

"What your father says is his decision," the mother proclaims irritably, "If you want to go to the prom tonight, we will take you!"

"I don't want you to take me to the prom-!"

"Then why did you bring it up in the first place!?" the father interrupts before she could finish, "If you don't want to go to the prom, you should have just said so in the first place and prevent _his_ rapist mind from tormenting you into becoming his little sex puppet!"

Alana shakes in anger over her parents' refusal to understand anything beyond taking one good look at the boys she met. As far as she was concerned, they would've been happy sticking her with some bucktooth, pimpled nerd who enjoys collecting bottle caps for a living.

Not wanting to drag this pointless argument further into the ground, she whips around and storms off into her room, slamming the door before flopping on her bed and burying her face into her pillow.

Seconds later, she hears something tap on her window and looks over to see Bob, the punk-loving prodigy she met in her science class, waving to her.

Alana walks over to the window and pushes it open as Bob speaks to her in a quiet tone.

"Come on! We gotta hurry," he mutters quietly, "If your parents find out I snuck you out, they might call the cops on us."

Alana quickly nods as they climb down the ladder and sneak into his broken down car parked several blocks from the house.

Once both were inside, Bob turns the ignition, causing a loud roar from the engine before jostling to life and driving down the quiet neighborhood.

Bob looks over to Alana, gandering at her dark purple, sleeveless dress and eve gloves.

"You look pretty," he said respectfully. Alana looks over to him, observing his generic tuxedo; the only thing that wasn't punk'd out like his freakishly large, spiky hair.

"So do you," she muses as she rests her head on his shoulders. Before he has a chance to admire the gesture several red and blue lights flash behind them as cop cars and motorcycles flooded most of the streets of the neighborhood.

"You are under arrest for kidnapping an underage child!" one of the cops shout through the megaphone, "Pull over and release the girl at once!"

"Kidnapping!?" Bob yelps.

"Bias parents of mine!" Alana yells, "They're so intent on sticking with their presumptions they must've thought you dragged me out of my room by force!"

Distraught over the thought of having her only boyfriend arrested for a crime her parents thought he was committing, she rears her head back and screams at the top of her lungs.

_**HEEEAAALLLP!!!**_

This is the general call of a client in distress. When trouble rises, be it a robbery, lost in the wilderness, or even scoring a date, when the chips are down and nothing can be done to pick them up, one simple shrill of the voice activates the radar system of the Elite Beat Agents, details their problems, and gives them the evidence they need to jump out and help the client through the special talents of their dancing and singing.

A year ago, a separate division called the Elite Beat Divas was created. This all female unit can dance and wave their pompoms so fluently even the most devastated of creatures will spring up and use every ounce of strength to retrieve what was taken from them. Their cheerleading performances may be too mature for some ages, but many people come to rely on them as much as they do the Agents.

The Divas drive their black convertible down the street towards the destination where the call came from, leaping out once they arrived and landing near the client in distress. Vixen, standing in the middle, pulls out a gray wallet and flips it open, revealing her BD-1 license.

"Elite Beat Divas here!" they called, "Let's get ready to jam!"

Alana looks over to the cops as they close in on them, preparing to force them into the nearest curb in the neighborhood.

"There's too many!" she cries, "He'll be behind bars before I can explain the misunderstanding!"

Responding to her distress, the Divas put their convertible on auto drive and chase after the fleeing car, waving their arms side to side to let them know they were there to help.

"Are you ready?" they asked while slapping their pompoms together before counting down, "3, 2, 1, GO!"

_I come home in the morning light  
__My mother says when you gonna live your life right  
__Oh mother dear, we're not the fortunate ones  
__And girls, they wanna have fun  
__Oh girls just wanna have fun_

The Divas performed in a vigorous display of dance moves rarely seen in a cheerleading performance.

Anna, the third backup next to Liza, struggles to keep up with them as exhaustion and asphyxiation battles to weigh her to the ground. She wasn't going to let their taunting assumptions stop her from showing the world how much she cares about them. If fate was going to reduce her to a mere commoner looking for another purpose to her existence, she would rather go down fighting than just curl up into a ball and let it spell her doom.

_The phone rings in the middle of the night_

Alana looks in front her to see the cops pull out a spike trap to blow out Bob's tires and stop him dead in his tracks.

_My father yells what you gonna do with your life_

In a desperate act to keep the car going, she pulls off her purple scarf and throws it out at the spikes, creating a shield that dulled them enough for the car to pass over safely.

_Oh daddy dear, you know you're still number one_

The cops watch in stunned shock at their failed attempt as Bob hits the gas, sending the car speeding down the street.

_But girls, they wanna have fun  
__Oh girls just wanna have-_

"Nice thinking, Alana!" Bob whoops excitedly as Alana looks over to him with flushed cheeks.

"Thanks, Bob," she says sheepishly.

_That's all they really want  
__Some fun  
__When the working day is done  
__Girls – they wanna have fun  
__Oh girls just wanna have fun_

Anna's breathing worsened as she continues to perform along her less than supporting superiors, her movements sluggish as beads of sweats rained down her slim, smooth skin. She tries to stay positive, believing she can get through this mission before the affects of her throat tumor have its way with her.

_Girls, they want-  
__They wanna have fun  
__Girls wanna have_

The cops were determined to "rescue" Alana from her "rapist kidnapper" and continue their chase after them. Just before she could assume her joyride with Bob would be their final time together, she spots an alleyway up ahead.

_Some boys take a beautiful girl  
__And hide her away from the rest of the world_

"Bob! There!" she calls out. Acting instinctively, he jerks the steering wheel to the side, sending the car into a 90-degree pivot into the alleyway and leaving the cop cars to chase the dust and burning rubber they kicked into the wind.

_I wanna be the one to walk in the sun  
__Oh girls, they wanna have fun  
__Oh girls just wanna have_

"We lost them!" Bob cheers as he continues driving down the alley.

"Nice steering!" Alana laughs joyfully.

_That's all they really want_

_Some fun  
__When the working day is done  
__Girls – they wanna have fun  
__Oh girls just wanna have fun_

At this point, Anna couldn't take much more of it. Her vision blurred and distorted like a broken down TV. Her mind raced, begging her to give up and collapse; get some rest; take a breather. But she ignores them, knowing the client is more important than mere hyperventilation. She literally bites her tongue and continues to perform against the suggestions of her subconscious mind.

_Girls, they want-  
__They wanna have fun  
__Girls, wanna have_

As the high school prom draws closer, the climax to their mission feels so close they could taste it with their tongue. All they had to do is keep performing and encouraging them to make it to the front door.

But for Anna, it was like just another chapter in her mission to stay alive. Muscles exhausted and breathing borderline asphyxiated she could no longer think of anything but her life. Her mind starts to fritz out as a bright light washes over her. The music they performed to begins to fade from her mind the brighter the light shined in her face, obscuring her from seeing if the couple made it to the prom safely.

_They just wanna, they just wanna  
__They just wanna, they just wanna  
__Girls just wanna have fun  
__They just wanna, they just wanna  
__They just wanna, they just wanna  
__Oh girls, girls just wanna have fun_

The sound of the wind overshadows her hearing. Before long Anna finds herself in a dead white space with nothing but brightness for miles around her.

"Wh...where am I...?" she mutters, looking around the unfamiliar, and frightening, place.

She was alone; nothing to see, nothing to hear. Could she have died performing what could be her final mission? She should have listened to her consciousness when her body began to weaken one joint at a time, but she refused to, all because she wants to prove she still cared about those who called for her.

"Well, isn't this another fine mess you got yourself into," snickers a cruel voice. Anna looks to the source to see the giant figure of Vixen tower over her with her arms crossed and her taunting smirk plastered on her beautiful face.

"Wha...!?" Anna squeaked, backing away, "What're you doing here!? Did you die too!?"

"Die?" Liza snorts, as Anna suddenly backs into the leg of her giant, towering figure, "God would never kill us; we're not frauds like you!"

Hearing the word "fraud" felt like an arrow stabbing into Anna's back as she stumbles away from the two, quivering with fright.

"Y...You're wrong...." she whimpers, "I do care about everyone who calls for us! I do!"

"No you don't!" Vixen exclaims in a booming voice that knocked Anna to the ground, "You only joined the agency just so you can go to Japan and mingle with the people there while the rest of us worked blood and sweat to be who we are today."

"The Commander shouldn't have chosen you when he was invited to last years Cheerleader Competition," Liza proclaims, "That little speech you gave about you using your talents to save the world was more talk than action. And once he finds that out, he won't even let you say goodbye to what little friends you made in this state."

"Maybe that's why she's dead," Vixen laughs, "Because God didn't like how she stabbed him in the back with that folly of a speech and gave her the lump just to pay her back for lying to him."

Lying? Anna couldn't believe the words her two superiors were cramming into her ears. Fraud, liar, Japanese fan, backstabber; they were all words Anna refused to be related to.

"No! I'm not a liar!" Anna cries as she runs from the towering figures, "I care about everyone! I want to help them everyway I can!"

As she opens her tear-soaked eyes to look in front of her, she sees a silhouette come into view; it was the leader of the Ouendan unit. She can't see his face due to the brightness of the light surrounding her, but she can assume he was just as unhappy with her as the rest of the world is.

Exasperated, Anna picks up as much speed as her asphyxiated lungs can muster to try and catch up to him only to see him turn and walk away.

"Wait! Come back!" she screams, "I am a good person! I swear! Don't go!"

Anna suddenly trips and falls forward, instinctively shutting her eyes as she waits for her oncoming face plant.

But she suddenly stops in midair, feeling her body suddenly curve into a sitting position on something flat. Anna opens her eyes to find herself sitting in the bed of a hotel room a couple miles from the stadium where the final Cheerleader Competition took place.

Was it all a dream? Anna thinks to herself as she runs her hand through her bedridden hair. It was more like a nightmare being taunted by her rivals just before the day of the final competition.

That Vixen and Liza. They're so obsessed with fame and fortune they'd rub their victory into everyone's face just to see them run off stage crying and swearing never to take up cheerleading again.

Well she wasn't going to be that person. She was going to try her best and show everyone how well she performed since the start of the competition.

Anna hurriedly leaps out of bed and runs to her closet, throwing her nightgown off and slipping on her custom-made cheerleader outfit, a befitting blend of Japanese and American flags to show her appreciation to both countries. She hopes her outfit would catch the eyes of all who love Japan as much as they do America.

A few minutes into admiring her appearance in the mirror, Anna hears a knock on her door. She panics slightly as she grabs her makeup kit and slaps on the powder and gloss.

"Yes, yes! Coming!' she quips as she skips to the door and pulls it open.

Standing in the hallway of the hotel room is the topknot-wearing Ouendan leader, staring straight into her eyes with his nonchalant expression and his fists behind his back. Anna could swear she could feel him searching her soul the longer they made eye contact, mulling around and digesting what he sees as important. Terrified of this sensation she slams the door, causing it to go away.

What was he trying to do? Anna thinks to herself again. Was he someone she knew? She tries hard to remember, but everything seemed foggy to her.

They say dreams are elusive when you sleep. One minute you think you know this person, the next it just fades away like the wind.

But what she was seeing right now wasn't a dream...or it could be that she might still be asleep, but doesn't know it.

Her thoughts are cut off by another rap on the door. Aggravated, she pulls the door open.

"I don't know who you are, or where you came from!" she rants, "But you better beat it before I call security and have you arrested for harassment!"

"What're you talking about, Ms. Lindhurst?" asked her bewildered insurance agent standing at her door, "I was trying to tell you that the competition starts in an hour, but you slammed the door before I could say anything."

Anna blinks and stumbles back a bit, shaking her head and rubbing her temples, "Ah, sorry Mr. Ushio. I just had a horrible nightmare."

The agent stares at her funny before stepping back and showing a hand towards the hallway.

"Come, we must hurry. You don't want to be late for your practice session," he ushers. Anna quickly nods as she heads down the hallway in the direction the manager pointed her in.


	3. Episode 3: Nightmares Forever

Episode 3: Nightmares Forever

Anna blinks when she finds herself standing on stage in front of millions of viewers, holding her pompoms towards her chest. She looks around in confusion, wondering how she got here when she had just left her hotel room a second ago.

Must be a lapse in her memory; it happens when one is too preoccupied with other things to remember where they're going.

"Anna...what're you doing...?" her insurance agent hissed, grabbing her attention as she looks over to see him hiding behind the open curtains, "Don't tell me you forgot your speech."

"Speech...?" Anna mutters before snapping back to reality, "Oh! Right!"

She's really going to blow her chance at winning this competition if she doesn't keep her head straight.

Anna snaps her head back to the audience, "Right! My speech!"

She stares at her outfit while recollecting her thoughts, seeing the American flag covering the right side of her cheerleader outfit while the Japanese flag covered her left.

"For my aspiring speech...." she mutters while mustering the courage and gumption to speak.

She lowers her pompoms to her thighs, keeping her hands together as she looks to the audience and continues with a boisterous, confident tone, "It has been my dream, since the day I could walk, to become a dancer that will encourage people to keep that frown upside down and fight for what they want in life. Nevermind fame, or fortune; I just want my encouraging words and performance to be enough to let people know that there is someone out there who cares about them, and will help them fight their problems no matter how great!"

A few minutes after finishing, the audience claps in appreciation for the hard work she put into making the speech.

"An aspiring dancer that uses her performance to keep people happy?" snorts a voice, "She's kookier than we thought." Anna eyes behind the adjacent curtain to see Vixen and Liza staring at her with that smug smirk and taunting eyes. They were just waiting to snag her gold and beat it over her head with pride just to make her another victim destined to quit cheerleading forever.

She ignores them by snapping her head back in front of her and running through her cheerleader performance exactly as she had practiced in the past two weeks since being promoted to the final round. Her breathing was in synch with the beat of the music as she continues to play with it.

Before long, she has the audience under her spell, mesmerized by her fluent performance and grace. And once the music ended, she is greeted with an uproar of claps and cheers.

Just when she was about to take a bow, she suddenly finds herself backstage, standing in front of an elderly man in a six-star commander outfit, wearing green shades that covered a moderate scar on his left eye. She was about to ask what happened, but then notices Vixen and Liza standing beside her and keeps her mouth shut, knowing anything she said would've provoked them to continue talking her down.

"So what's this about?" Vixen asked while running her thumb over her preened fingernails, "An old military commander like you coming to a rundown Cheerleader Competition?"

"I am no military commander," the man said, "I come from an organization called Elite Beat Agents. We specialize in using the jiving sensation of song and dance to lift the spirits of those who are too down in the dumps to keep hold of it. I came to this competition in search of talented, athletic young girls to add to the new Diva unit we have recently created."

"Wow! I didn't believe such an organization existed!" Anna gasps in shock that gained annoyed looks from the rivals who outperformed her.

The commander nods as he studies all three of the top winning cheerleaders, "Looking at you all now, I feel confident that you will make fine additions to the agency." He reaches his hand out towards the newly hired Divas, "What do you say?"

While Vixen and Liza grab and shook the hand as if reluctant to do so, Anna eagerly waits for him to come to her. Once he does, she closes her eyes; mentally basking in the glory of being able to live up to her speech and help the world fight for peace. Without opening them, she reaches over and grasps the waiting hand only to feel fabric wrap around it.

At first she thought Vixen and Liza had poisoned the commander into believing she was infested with loser-cooties and was using a handkerchief to protect himself from being infected. Anna opened her eyes, about to rat them out when the man with the large topknot suddenly appears in the commander's place, eyes once again staring straight at her.

Before she could react to his presence, he reaches his other hand towards her throat and tears it out, causing her to choke as she drops down to her knees and grabs what was left of her neck. As she looks back up to him, wondering what he was doing, she saw an abnormally large mass of grotesquely lumpy flesh sitting in his hand as the blood soaking his white gloves began dripping down onto the floor in front of her.

Anna shrieks and stumbles away from him only to slam her back into something springy. She looks behind her to find herself laying in the bed of a clinic-like room. It took a second before she remembered where she was, the EBA infirmary, where Agents go when they've injured themselves and need immediate recovery.

She suddenly feels a hand caressing her throat and scrambles into a sitting position, knocking it away as she grabs her neck only to feel something rough and fabric surrounding it. She couldn't look down to see what it was, but she can tell it was a bandage, indicating something had to be surgically removed in order to save her.

It was at that point that all of her memories rushed back to her like a floodgate; becoming a Diva, spending the next year helping EBA become the reliable organization it is today, then suffering from a throat tumor while bringing in the leader of the Ouendan unit.

Leader....

She completely forgot he was still loose in Central.

Anna prepares to jump out of bed and search for him only to turn to the side and find him sitting on a rotating chair, positioned backwards, with his crossed arms leaning against the backrest.

He had the same concerned look on his nonchalant face since their last encounter before the mission. Anna forces a cheerful laugh.

"**Why're you so concerned!? I'm fine, really!**" she said, "**It's just a minor scar that will go away in a couple of months. But I can still perform at my best!**"

To try and show that she was fine, Anna attempts to sing one of her favorite songs, but as she does, her vocal cords flare up, making her sound hoarse and raspy before the air she took in suddenly chokes her, causing her to grab her mouth and cough violently.

"Oh my god! Did someone kill a cat in here?" Laughs a snide voice. Anna shoots a glare over to the doorway while caressing her agonized throat to see Vixen and Liza saunter in with their usual smug smirks and overconfident eyes.

"Once again, Anna, you have just given the world another example of why you don't deserve to be famous like the rest of us," Liza said while leaning on Anna's shoulder and bending her to the side, "Going to Japan instead of practicing, claiming there was some super secret unit, and now collapsing in the middle of a mission?" Anna starts to tremble as Liza leers at her, eager to break her apart mentally, "The Commander isn't happy with your lack of commitment to help EBA expand on their reputation. I'd hate to see what kind of punishment he'll give you for failing on us. I hope he finally sees you for the useless brat that you are and find someone else to take your place."

"Please...stop...." Anna mutters, "Just leave me alone...I can't take this any longer...."

"Oh, what's that?" Vixen gasps, placing her hand behind her ear sarcastically, "Are you saying you're giving up? After all we've been through together?" she tsks as she wavers her finger side to side, "Shame on you, Anna. You have just let down the entire world by telling them you're through tearing them out of trouble."

Anna struggles to hide her tears, but to no avail as they drip from her eyes and onto the sheets covering her lower body. Liza pulls her elbow off, slapping it into Anna's cheek as it passed.

"Go ahead, go back to that primitive bunch of Islands; you deserve to be among them," Liza sneers, "It's not like the rest of the world is going to miss having you around. As far as their concerned, you're nothing but extra baggage the Commander forced us to lug around."

"I'll say," Vixen leers, "I bet even God is tired of putting up with you going around acting like you actually gave a damn about those victimized by the doom and gloom of everyday stress, and wants to make you pay for lying to them."

The leader's frown tightens while Liza daintily crosses her arms.

"Oh, I see now. So that's why you got that ugly tumor in your throat. You're obsession with Japan has made God so angry he wanted to make you suffer for turning your back on the world the moment your done singing them out of their dreary predicaments. Must be His way of saying if you're not going to make an effort to prove you actually care about the world then you shouldn't be singing at all."

The leader's lips curl in more irritation, as Vixen narrows her eyes upon seeing Anna grab her head and pull it towards her knees, trying hard to push their verbal torments out of her head.

"Don't try to deny it, Anna," she smirks, "You brought this all on yourself; lollygagging in Japan when you should be focusing all your love and care to the country God put you in. Everyone will be so angry that you stabbed them in the back that they will rush to find a replacement the split second the Commander axes you from the ranks."

The two finish with a victorious laugh before catching the leader plant himself between them and Anna, staring daggers into their souls while keeping his arms crossed as a show of authority. Neither of them took the stance seriously.

"Well lookie here," Liza snickers snidely, "If it isn't Anna's living souvenir." She puckers her lips sounding like a mother talking to her child, "Come back to show us how well you can sit in something higher than a cushion, dawg?"

"Oooh! Better be careful with your language, Liza," Vixen gasps sardonically, "What if he said that to the rest of his kind? They might think all Americans use bad words as a compliment and insult the first visitor to come to their lands, further driving them into exile and never evolving into the great future that we are today!" She then gets into the leader's face, causing his frown to tighten, "Oh wait a minute, I forgot! You have to understand English first in order to figure out what we're saying!"

Liza laughs before blinking in sarcastic realization, "But wait!" she leers at Anna, puckering her lips again, "He has Mama Anna with him! She could translate everything we said to him just now!"

"But she's in enough trouble as it is with America jeering her offstage," Vixen puckers as well, "Telling him what we really said will just lead him to think the rest of America hates Japan and never let her back into their country! She must have told him we were trying to introduce ourselves and saying how much we love this country, and begging him to let her stay in Japan and be a primitive peasant just like the rest of them!"

The leader narrows his eyes at their leering faces, "Really? That's funny, I could've sworn you were treating me like I was still living in the Edo-period."

Vixen and Liza's eyes nearly bulge as they stumble away from him in total shock and humiliation. The leader regains his nonchalant expression as he walks towards them at a normal pace, placing his fists behind his back for the first time since they first saw him, "I guess it was just my 'primitive mind' telling me I was being insulted by having things stuck in my face and told their name and function. Maybe I was supposed to play some kind of memory game where I have to guess your name based on everything you described and touched."

He continues to back the two through the infirmary until they end up back in the hallway, "Well, Fork and Chair 'Backrest' Legs, if you're done exerting your bombastic ego through pre-school insults and downcasts, please be so kind as to shake your rump right out of this room, and let your 'personal punching bag' rest and recover from what you perceive to be 'another fine mess she made to ruin the fame and attention YOU worked SO hard to gain'."

He then hits the enter key on the pad next to him, causing the door to slide shut in their face. A few seconds pass before the door slides open again as the leader leans his arm on the frame and tosses Anna's license in his hand.

"Oh, and one more thing," he said, "Basing your knowledge of Asian culture off _The King and Me_ does not make you a historical prodigy. Thought I should point that out..._dawg!_" he then takes his arm off, causing the door to slide shut in their faces again.

Vixen and Liza's face turn blood red in anger as they turn and march down the hall towards the Command Room to report what they saw.

* * *

"This is troubling...." Kahn sighs after hearing what Vixen and Liza had to say concerning Anna's condition, "The doctors did say the surgery wasn't as simple as slicing off a piece of meat."

Vixen places one hand on her hip as she turns her side to their commanding officer, "I suggest we just throw her out and be done with it. Save us all the trouble of having to explain why one of us is more obsessed with something else than the task before her."

"Just because Agent Lindhurst has more interest in Japan than the rest of the world does not make her a hinder to our cause," Kahn said, placing his elbows on the desk before him and resting his lips upon his folded fingers, "Of the three of you, she is the most caring girl I could ever recruit. Therefore, it is only courteous we wait until she recovers from her surgery and see what happens then."

"Wait!? While there're people in need of our help!?" Liza exclaims in disbelief and shock, "I can't believe you, Commander! How can you let the entire world down by suggesting we wait for one person to recover from something that could take months, even years to recover from!? I thought you cared!"

"I do care," Kahn said firmly, "I also care about the wellbeing of those who help me help the world recover from whatever devastating blow lands upon them. Which is why, unless we find someone else to fill in for Anna, I'm going to have to lay off the Diva unit until her throat heals completely."

Liza grits her teeth in frustration before seeing Vixen close her eyes and wave her finger in confidence.

"Well, Commander," she said smugly, "I figured something like this was going to happen, so I went and flagged down an old friend I met in a dance class a few years ago. She has much more stamina, dexterity, and can even sing better than Anna."

Kahn sighs in frustration, "Agent Vixen, as much as I would love to think you're trying to help our cause, I am not going to be pressured into resigning Agent Lindhurst based on your brash assumption that she does nothing but go to Japan whenever she is relieved for the day. Not all Agents spends their entire lives training to appease the world."

"I never said you had to resign her," Vixen said slyly, gaining an aggravated glare from Liza.

"But you said-!" she exclaims before a hand slaps over her mouth, thrown by Vixen as she tries to hold her hesitation.

"You said Anna needs time to recover, right?" Vixen asked, "If last week's disaster was any indication, you would've realized just how stubborn she is. Her refusal to inform us of her worsening throat tumor before the start of the mission nearly cost us two people getting arrested by the police before they can explain their situation. Now I don't know what that says to you, but if we hadn't mentioned how extensive her surgery was, she would walk back in here at the first sound of a mission, worse than before, claim she was fine, and screw up our next mission by breaking every window in New York trying to sing and dance to the person who calls for us, putting our reliability in jeopardy of being shattered."

"What is your point, Agent Vixen," Kahn said, sounding impatient.

"Give her a desk job," Vixen said simply, "She serves a much better chance at being a coach than muscling her way back into the field and ruining our reputation more than it already was with our last mission."

Kahn's frown tightens in wavered frustration as Vixen eyes him even more slyly, "C'mon, Commander. Once you see what my friend has to show you, you'd be itching to snatch that BD-3 license from Anna and place it square in her hands."

Kahn remains silent before sighing in defeat, "Very well, Agent Vixen, bring her in...."

* * *

"So you're not a super secret unit the Commander created to deal with the Japanese Community?" Anna mutters distraughtly as she looks at her fists pressed between her knees buried under the infirmary blankets. The leader walks back over to the rotating chair with his fists behind his back.

"The lack of response from Japan was a prime example of how little most countries are willing to pour their entire reliability on a single organization, despite all the gadgets they can get their hands on," he began as he sat back down on the chair and rests his crossed arms on the adjusting backrest, "The Japanese Community has been relying on Ouendan for so long; even if they knew there was another organization that tailors to all seven continents, they would still call on us because we're more convenient, and we understand their problems better than an organization that's too busy dealing with their own country to give their dilemma two seconds of debate before sticking it on the bottom of their list and eventually forgetting about it."

Anna exasperates, "B...but what about what you did earlier when you opened that door! You had to have been with the agency for some time!"

The leader tsks before tossing the license onto Anna's lap, "Please. It doesn't take me three days to figure out how to stick a badge in front of an ID scanning pad." Anna stares at her license before slumping her shoulders in more distraught.

"Then it's all over," she mutters, "Once Vixen and Liza find a replacement, they'll pressure the Commander into throwing me out just to make room for more recruits, and sleaze the entire world into turning their backs on me like I was the one who opened Pandora's box...."

The leader stares at her a moment before getting up, pulling Anna's uniform out of the closet, and tossing it towards her.

"Get dressed," he said, "We're going back to Japan for a while."

"What!?" Anna yelps, "But the doctor said-!"

"Just because you can't sing and dance for a couple months doesn't mean you can't walk anywhere," the leader interrupts as he turns his back to Anna to avoid seeing her get dressed, "Ouendan has been contemplating on starting a female division themselves in order to show the world that we aren't an all-man band. We already managed to obtain two for the task, but in order for us to maintain a three-per-performance code we need to have at least one more to help them cheer those who call for them. And seeing that you've been in that field, I figured you could make a prime candidate to the group."

"But I've only been a Diva for a year," Anna mutters, "I hardly have a chance to dig deeper in this kind of business!"

"You have enough experience to understand the stress of helping those in need. And you'll be able to expand that should they accept you into their squad."

Anna blinks in interest before eagerly swapping to her Diva uniform and heading to the garage with the leader following after her.

* * *

With the leader giving her directions, they soon find themselves in a forest southwest of Tokyo.

A few miles from the city, a large, old fashion dojo sits around a large family of Japanese trees. A Japanese flag sits atop the roof, waving in the wake of the late afternoon wind. But on closer inspection, Anna sees a handwritten kanji for "cheer" slapped on the center of the red circle representing the rising sun.

She cocks an eyebrow in confusion, looking towards the band on the leader's left arm, which is more original than what was flapping overhead.

The leader gets out of the convertible and heads to the dojo, leaving Anna beside herself a few seconds before hopping out and rushing in after him. She remembers to take her boots off at the entrance as it was inappropriate to walk around with them on.

Not two feet from the entrance, she bumps into something standing in her path. Before she could pull back to see what she ran into, she is suddenly backhanded against the flimsy door, almost breaking it off its hinges as she tumbles to the cold, hard pavement.

"_**IMPUDANT FOOL!!!**_" roars a monstrous voice that sound like it came from the heavens. Anna snaps her head up to see what could be the largest man in existence.

Standing at nearly 8'1", the man wears a white uwagi coat with black dots near the sleeves, white gloves, and black hakamana pants. His graying hair reaches his neck, riddled with messy spikes, and his face is scrunched into a mean face that struck terror into those who dare gazes straight into his eyes, growing tighter as his body trembles in worldly rage.

"_**YOU DARE TRY TO CHALLENGE ME WITH SUCH A WEAK, FRAIL BODY!?!?**_" he stomps towards Anna, shaking the foundation with each step, "**_I SHALL CRUSH YOU AS ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF WHY I DESERVE TO BE THE WORTHY RULER OF ALL WHO WALK THIS LAND!!!_**"

Anna tries to scramble away from him, but the door leading back outside blocks her path. She throws her hands up in defense as she sweatdrops profusely.

"Er...uh...**so sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you in any way!**" she mutters to the advancing monster. But her apologies fall on deaf ear as he raises his split toe socked foot and aims to slam it into the base of her body.

Just as her life was about to flash before her eyes for a second time, the door behind her slides open, causing her to fall towards the porch outside. A hand grabs her elbow and yanks her to her feet while the door slams shut in her face.

"This way, hurry!" the leader ushers as he pulls Anna towards the back of the dojo.

Anna stumbles towards a tree in the open fields of the backyard, surprisingly calm given the paleness of her skin and the trembling in her body.

"W...what just happened...!?" she squeaks nervously.

"I wouldn't recommend going into the dojo," the leader said as he turns towards the doors of the backyard while crossing his arms, "Dancho thinks he's become the sole ruler of the world because he crushed every god that challenged him in his sleep; and considers even the slightest brush against his body a threat to shove him off the throne."

"Then why did you bring me here if you know how dangerous this place is!?" Anna squeaks again.

"Because there's someone living here I need approval from before we can move on with the next step of your initiation," the leader said before looking towards the shadow of the forest, "There he is now."

Anna follows his gaze to see a man roughly a foot shorter than the monster man step out of the shadows. He wears the same outfit, but inverted in color, and with the addition of wooden geta sandals in place of split toed socks. His hair is black, large and spiky along the neck and head, and has a small, cross-shaped scar on the left side of his cheek.

She shudders slightly at his size and mean-looking face, but considering the leader isn't intimidated by his presence, she felt less compelled to crawl into the nearest hole she could find.

The leader places one fist behind his back while presenting his hand to the new arrival, "This is Kai Doumeki; chief of the Cheer Squad."

"Chief?" Anna asked, looking between the leader and Kai, "So he's in charge of deciding who you should help and stuff?"

"Doesn't work like that in this squad," the leader said, "Everyone has to pitch in when it comes to helping those in need." He places his presenting hand behind his back, "Aside from the usual ranking of Chief, he's known by many as the squad's Fierce Leader."

"Fierce!? As in fast and demanding!? Won't that just stress the person out more!?"

"That only depends on how desperate the distressed is when they call for us. Being the Bold Leader, my performance can only push people so far before they start to lose confidence in themselves. But Kai's performance harbors enough spirit and enthusiasm to shove his clients out of their hopeless situations and towards the goals they desire most. It's a balanced method that ensures the community remains confident about themselves and those they turn to for help."

"**Where've you been the past week that brought this girl to our dojo?**" Kai asked, seeming more curious of Anna's presence than he expressed. The leader was about to answer when he suddenly frowns and eyes the backdoors of the dojo, Kai doing the same, but with less tension and apprehension.

"**Now isn't the best time to talk about this....**" he growled in annoyance.

Anna raised an eyebrow in curiosity before following their gaze to see a man, seemingly centuries older than even the monster man that attacked her earlier.

He, too, wears the same outfit as the monster man they call "Dancho", but with red dots on the sleeves. He all but leans against an old flagpole as he walks, its flag bearing the same, handwritten kanji for "cheer" cradled within the red circle representing Japan's rising sun. His hair is pure white, slightly bald near the forehead while particles of his shoulder-long hair is pulled into a traditional topknot, his eyebrows are long and thick enough to hide the expression of his eyes, his mustache looked like long dragon whiskers, and his beard reaches his midsection.

Once the elder comes to a stop, he stands straight and proud like a God; yet his expression is one of tranquility less fearsome than the monster man who thinks of nothing but murder and dominance. This mighty stance, coupled with the two younger men shrinking away slightly, the taller out of respect while the shorter visibly shrinks lower out of weariness and caution, seem to suggest he has higher authority over them, making him the true leader of this Ouendan Unit.

He scans the backyard, and all its semi natural appearances, before fixing his gaze on Anna and thrusting the foot of the flagpole at her, his once tranquil expression turning to slight apprehension that suggest he isn't as kindly as she was led to believe.

"**What is this woman doing in our territory?**" he asked, rather sharply. He speaks a type of Japanese that was older than the standard dialect spoken today, but Anna barely manages to understand him. She perks up as she rises to a proper stance with her hands placed over each other.

"**It's nice to meet you,**" she began, "**I'm-**"

"**Just a friend I met in the Matsuri a week ago,**" the leader suddenly interrupts as he stands in front of her like a human shield. Anna snaps her head over to him in bewilderment.

"Hey wait a-!" she protests.

"**She is not Japanese,**" the elder said, his apprehensive tone darkening as he slaps the foot of his flagpole on the wooden porch he stood on, "**What is the meaning of your invasion on our lands?**"

The leader tries to explain but Anna interjects, pushing him aside so the elder could get a good look at her.

"**I want to join this squad!**" she shouts hoarsely, sounding irritated. The leader stares at her in surprise before slapping a hand over his face.

"Aiyah, bakyaro!" he groaned.

"**I was told you were going to start a female division in your squad,**" Anna pipes up before furrowing her eyebrows and looking down to her bandaged throat while caressing it, "**I suffered a throat tumor a month ago, and the surgery that removed it put me in a situation where the last squad I joined might not want to wait for me to recover; they could be looking for a replacement even as we speak....**" she then threw her hand down and turns to look at the elder again, frowning in determination, "**But after seeing your men perform to the Matsuri a week ago, I felt inspired to want to join your female division and prove to the world that I can still fight their problems!**"

The elder's frown tightens, "**Do you think me so weak as to seek the aid of a woman to further light the way to peace?**"

Anna squints her nose in confusion as she points to the leader, "**But he said you were-!**"

Upon seeing her point to the leader, the elder's once tranquil expression immediately flushes from his wrinkling face as his frown tightens to the point of levitating his long eyebrows like hackles on a dog's back, "**You dare claim that heathen is a member of MY squad!? He is but another vial of poison infesting the minds of man and driving them further from the path originally paved by the true Gods!**"

The leader's muffles an angry growl as the elder continues preaching, "**Ever since Pandora opened the box and freed the evil locked inside, humankind has refused to follow the wills of the Gods, stealing their powers and using them to pave their own path to peace; creating monsters that do their work for them, forcing women to fight in the wars they declare, even defy their origins to steal the language and knowledge of other lands to brew their own race and religion.**"

Anna's frown tightens in confusion, "**It is because of corrupters like you that everyone has been led to believe this era of confusion, disorder, and madness is the peace they and their ancestors before them have grown happy to live in!**"

"Corrupters!?" Anna exclaims in offense, "**EBA works just as hard as you do to make sure peace continues to shine brightly in peoples hearts! You have no right to claim-!**"

"**Do not dare associate me to your God Slaying cult! While you poison the minds of man into relying on the likes of Hope to save them from their own mistakes, I have retained my loyalty to the true Gods, devoting my life and soul to helping them bring mankind back to accepting them as their one and only bringer of peace!**"

Anna's anger boils as the elder sharply turns his back to her, "**Once I spread the Wings of Suzaku around my shoulders I will ascend to the heavens and aide the true Gods as they glide over the lands and cleans the tainted minds of humanity, reclaiming thei loyalty and forever proving why they are the true rulers of our world. Now return to your lands, rid yourself of everything that does not belong to you, and learn to accepted it as the Gods intend!**"

Anna's entire body shook as her once beautiful face twists in sheer rage, "**Why you...! I'm not afraid of taking on a senile old man who thinks he has the authority to make the entire world bow to him like some spoiled emperor!**" she prepares to march towards the elder when the leader grabs her elbow and drags her towards the other side of the dojo.

"**We've overstayed our visit.... We should get going....**"

Anna glares at him in irritation, "Hey wait a minute! I'm not-!"

"**I said LET'S GO!!!**" he nearly roars, glaring at Anna in a way that sent chills down her spine. Caught off guard by his glare and unusually irate voice, she hardly put up a struggle as he yanks her back towards the front of the dojo where the convertible was last parked; finding it smashed against a tree half a mile from the front porch. It was obvious the monster man saw it and kicked it against the tree without so much as a bruise on his toes.

Anna nearly shrills in frustration as she drops to her knees and covers her face with her hands, "Oh no! Now how'm I gonna get back to Central!? Everyone else is too busy with other business to drive me back home!"

The leader huffs another frustrated sigh before heading into the thickets of the forest, "Come on. We'll take the bus."

"The bus!?" Anna complains, "We just drove several miles from the city! It'll take us 'til nightfall to...!" She suddenly trails off as the sound of a roaring engine comes to ear seconds before a "small" blue bus with the license plate "Ouendan-Osu", in full kanji, drives up beside her.

Before she could figure out who it belonged to the door folds open, revealing the leader at the valve-like wheel, holding the lever that controlled the bus door.

"I've attached a hook to the back of the bus," he said as he climbed out and heads towards the mangled convertible, "We can use it to tow the car back and save the Taijitu brothers the eyesore of having a modern day contraption cramping up their backyard."

Anna blinks in surprise before going to help the leader hook the front bumper of the convertible to the back of the bus.


	4. Episode 4: The NeverEnding Experience

Episode 4: The Never-Ending Experience

The drive back to Central continues in silence with the Ouendan leader focusing on the road, and Anna sitting in one of the nine passenger seats, staring at her chap-covered knees while trying to make sense of everything that had been going on since their visit to the dojo.

"I'm sorry for jerking your pride out back at the dojo," he said after an hour, "I didn't want this whole 'Hope is bad' jargon to escalate into a fight that'll only provoke Yin to impale you with his flag and call it 'the wrath of the Gods'."

"What kind of a leader is that old codger if he talks about mankind like they were the most retarded species that ever walked this planet!?" Anna nearly explodes.

"That flagpole he carries is the staple of an old hierarchy the former leader set up to maintain structure within the squad; whoever bares the flag harbors the fruition and wellbeing of the squad, and the future they pave," the leader then snorts in irritation, "Fat lot of good that's done lately. Between eating, sleeping and crapping in that disgusting wooden bucket called a toilet, he's been standing in front of that chest he stole from Vermillion Village, caressing it like some sick animal and praying for the Great Suzaku to give him access to the Wings, he claims the villagers tore off his back, and ascend to the heaven to save the world from the hell humankind brought upon it."

"Then why continue controlling the squad when he doesn't even care about it!?" Anna pipes up, looking at the leader, "Why not just give the flag to that large guy you were talking to and spend the rest of his life as some priest of a christan church somewhere in Japan!?"

The leader remains silent a minute before taking his right hand off the steering wheel and rubbing the crest on his armband, "It's complicated...."

* * *

Back in Central, Kahn overlooks some video data taken earlier in the day when he hears the door slide open, letting in the hallway lights. He doesn't bother addressing either, knowing it was Anna walking in with a worried look on her face.

"Care to explain why you weren't in the infirmary like the doctor suggested?" he asked, eyeing one of the monitors that showed Anna walking out of the infirmary, then focusing on a monitor showing the damaged convertible, "And why you chose to drive off when you know you're in no condition to be moving around?"

Anna compresses her lips, about to answer when a voice cuts her off.

"I'm afraid the incident was my fault."

Kahn turns around, frowning a bit upon seeing the leader step out from behind Anna with his fists behind his back.

"And you are...?" he asked.

The leader walks closer to Anna's side and throws a sharp bow towards Kahn, "My name is Ryuta Ippongi. I come from a squadron that works along the same methods as you; to bring encouragment to the planet and give them the hope they need to continue fighting the problems standing in their way."

"The same methods?" Kahn's frown tightens slightly as Ryuta raises his head to look at him, "And how exactly do you motivate people to achieve the impossible?"

Ryuta stands straight again, "We use the rhythm and lyrics of J-Pop as a source of encouragement to counter the stressing situation," he then places his hands behind his head and throw them outward in a V-like angle, "And we perform to those songs, using the masculine moves of Japanese cheerleaders, to push the distressed into fighting the problems hampering their future."

Anna claps her hands together, "You should've seen them, Commander! When I went to the Matsuri a week ago, I saw a mikoshi racer in peril scream their name! And in an instant, they appeared and encouraged them to outperform his opponents!"

Kahn lowers his head a bit, "I see.... Tell me, Mr. Ippongi, how can you be sure the people you encourage are of a good heart?"

Ryuta frowns a bit as he lowers his arms to his side, trying to hide his apparent frustration for the question being thrown at him, "I admit we aren't as rich as you and have all this _Charlie's Angels _equipment helping us get to where we need to be." He crosses his arms, "Hell, I barely had enough income to salvage and fix a bus large enough to carry nine people. But we are smart enough to figure out when a person is using us for their own greedy purposes, and when to ignore them when they call on us to help them commit criminal acts."

Kahn's mood darkens, "I see...."

Ryuta's frown tightens at the apparent monotone of the Commander's voice. The evidence stacked before him so far was doing little to convince Kahn of their reliability; only leading him to presume they were naive and would help anyone who calls for them, regardless of whether they were worthy or not. He would have to watch his words carefully to prevent having to tack another organization on the "List of Avoidance".

Before the situation could escalate into schemes to shut the squad down, a scream suddenly blares through the monitor speakers.

_**HEEEAAALLLP!!!**_

Heads turn to the monitor as an elderly woman being held at gunpoint by bank robbers screams at the top of her lungs while clutching her purse to the point of squeezing her credit cards and makeup out its lips.

Kahn's frown tightens.

"This is a problem," he mutters, "The T Unit are busy with another call. They won't be able to handle this situation...."

Anna pumps her arms in eagerness.

"Let me handle it, Commander!" she proclaims, "If I lip-synch like Techno, I won't slow the rest of the Divas down!"

Kahn lowers his head a bit as he turns to face Anna, "I'm afraid that is what I wanted to discuss with you about when you recovered from your surgery...."

Before Anna could ask what he meant, the doors slide open behind her as three figures step into the room; two familiar and one completely new.

The newcomer is younger than her, hair blonde and less wavy, and wears her orange glasses on her forehead.

Anna's entire skin pales to pure white as the Divas stepped before her to address the Commander.

"I don't mean to draw you into this mission so quickly, Starr," Kahn said, "But we have an urgent situation that is in need of attending to."

He looks up at the monitor showing the old woman in peril, "Emily Peaz had just come to the bank to withdraw her retirement money and an engagement ring for her grandson, when bank robbers broke in and began demanding money. She has called us to help her stop the robbers before they jump her account vault and make value of her claims."

"Wh...what's going on, Commander...?" Anna squeaks in fright, "I thought you were going to wait until I recovered before deciding my future here...."

"I wouldn't want to replace you right away; not until I'm sure you are no longer prime for continuance out in the field," Kahn said, "For now, and perhaps the remainder of your time here, you will help Starr grow to be an amazing Diva among side Vixen and Liza."

Anna stares at Vixen and Liza who mentally laugh at her degrading disposition while taunting her eventual erasure from the minds of all who had known her in the past year since the Cheerleader Competition. Her body trembles as she sinks to her knees so slowly, it looked like she was sinking over her head in quicksand.

Ryuta stares at her helpless posture; flat on her knees with her hands slapped in front of her to stop her from planting her face on the waxed, black floor.

The Divas walked out of the Command Room, Vixen and Liza purposely shoving Anna as they pass her by.

Ryuta's frown tightens more in frustration as he looks back at Kahn who turns to face the monitor, too focused on seeing the Divas' mission through to give Anna any sympathy or reassuring comfort.

* * *

"It all begins...." Anna mutters as she lays sideways across the couch at the far back of the bus, too depressed by her numbering future to brush the wavy hair from her face, "Once their new 'toy' squeezes every last ounce of knowledge out of my brain, I'll just be a useless doll wandering around Central until Vixen and Liza pressure the Commander into throwing me out of EBA for good...."

Ryuta sat in the driver's seat, leaning against the large steering wheel, seeming to be at a loss for encouraging words that would help Anna figure out a better solution to her future. A few minutes pass before he frowns again and sits back, gripping the steering wheel with one hand and turning the ignition with the other, causing the roaring engine to startle Anna as she stumbles into a sitting position.

"What're you-!?" she gasps, trying to swallow her heart before it leaped straight out of her throat.

"We're going back to Japan," Ryuta said, pressing his foot against the gas pedal and maneuvering the bus around all the twin vehicles towards the tunnel leading to Japan, "We're going to make sure those Divas don't get the opportunity to kick you out of this agency for good."

"We're not going back to that dojo in the forest are we!?" Anna yelps, "You saw what happened the last time you took me there!"

"As Yin hostilely pointed out, I'm nowhere connected to his blind crusade," Ryuta said as they drove through the tunnel towards Tokyo, "Where he's using the quantity of the squad to enforce his vision of peace and unity by forcing the world to accept him as their savior to the universe, Ouendan shows the world that Hope is a powerful emotion that can bring both heaven and earth together in harmonious equality."

"Why does he want to destroy hope so badly?" Anna asked, "Not that I'm a religious believer or anything, but didn't God create hope in order to help man stay alive and happy?"

"Yin couldn't understand the story of Pandora's Box when the former leader read it to him as a child; why Hope was locked inside with all the sins and diseases, and not standing at God's side, helping him maintain man's goodness. He got his answer in a small village called Vermillion, one of four Shinto villages guarding the gates to the Realm of the Spirits."

The bus drives out of a rundown parking garage deep in the ghost town of Tokyo and heads into the more populated region, "The former leader stumbled upon Vermillion during a spiritual journey and saw how much the inhabitants there, human and spirit, idolize the Southern Fire Bird, Suzaku. He relayed his experience to Yin upon his return, believing they might be able to help him better understand the existence of foreign religion, and help guide him on the right path to peace and happiness."

Ryuta's frown tightens in anguish over having to remember the story, "But the experience he got when he arrived was anything but encouraging. Spirits, many of whom have been depicted as common, blood-thirsty demons in folklore, span as much of the village as the humans who built them. As he explores the village further, he eventually finds salvation in the form of what he thinks is the Great Suzaku descending from the sun to spread his Wings and cleanse the people of their curse. But even that was short-lived when he saw Suzaku playing a 'Game of Knowledge' with the village elder, claimed to be a demon in disguise, for the very Wings he intends to sacrifice."

He sat back in his seat as he sighs in frustration, "His views of the good of Hope shatter when the elder not only beats Suzaku and 'claims' his Wings, but calls him a senile old bird because of it. Didn't bother to ask questions, nor did he spend a second considering Suzaku's sensitivity and willingness to give up his Wings. He flat out assumed Hope was helping Vermillion slay the Gods and kicked over a torch, causing a chain reaction that burned the entire village to ashes, killing all who breathed and chasing the spirits back into the gates never to return. He then finds the chest the Fire Bird was carrying earlier, assumed the elder had effortlessly cut his Wings off and stuffed them inside, and vowed to use them to ascend to the heavens and help the 'true' Gods cleanse the world of all impurities and bring humankind back to accepting nothing but _their_ divine judgment."

Anna furrows her eyebrows, "But...won't God reject him because of the turmoil he's suffering, or do something to ease the confusion that's leading him to trust his own nightmares over reality?"

"Why do you think there's more than one religion floating around the planet? Shinto, Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Jehovah's Witness; the reason there's no one true religion is because God is nonexistent. They may live among us, but because there's no visual evidence that prove they were physically there during the creation of those religions, no one can be sure what the Gods could be thinking at this very moment; whether they appreciate science trampling over biblical theories at the time they happened, or if they even want to be associated to the amount of religious beliefs leading humankind into accepting their existence in their own personal way. It's that lack of evidence that seperates an athiest from a true believer, and why those religions continue to exist even when many have begun converting to science as their one true answer to the creation of life."

Ryuta's grip on the steering wheel tightens to the point of throttling it, "But even the most theistic understand the good of Hope and why the Gods depend on it as much as they depend on humans and vise versa. And without the former leader around to stop Yin from realizing the severity of his actions, it'll only be a matter of time before he gets what he wants, and lures everyone into a false sense of sanctity brought upon by the Gods he has little to no idea only exists in his traumatized nightmares."

Anna saw his struggle to quell his angst, suggesting he knew more about Yin than he's willing to let out. She decides to change the subject before he breaks the steering wheel trying to calm down.

"So...if we're not going back to the dojo, then where are we really going?" she asked.

It took Ryuta a while before he heaved a loud sigh and loosened the tension on his grip and eyebrows.

"Ouendan has been thinking about starting a female division, as another step in showing the world we aren't just a all-man band," he began, "We've already encountered two candidates who settled upon a more traditional form of cheerleading that's been familiarized to all known countries on the planet. But in order to maintain the three-per-performance tradition, we needed one more female, preferably one that can help them get used to the experience of cheering in the middle of danger."

Anna immediately perks up, "So does this mean you'll take me in as a member of your squad!?"

"It didn't cross my mind when you dragged me back to your base, claiming I was from some super secret unit tailoring to Japan's needs. But after seeing how determined you were to help the world get off the ground and fight, especially after what you went through, I started to have second thoughts. There's only one condition I need you to go through before the rest of the squad can accept you into their ranks."

"Condition?" Anna asked with a curious raise of her eyebrow.

* * *

It was midday in Japan when the bus pulls up to a building in the heart of Tokyo.

Anna looks out the window near the building to see three people in the midst of deep meditation.

"Yoga?" she mutters curiously as Ryuta cuts the engine and pulls the lever that opens the folding doors.

"There's someone here, who's familiar with the type of mind training that helps us figure out whether the distressed is trustworthy enough to put effort into getting them out of a jam," he said as he heads out of the bus.

Anna follows him into the building where she sees a skinny, old woman with a black, traditional hairstyle, held up with chopsticks, sitting Indian-style on a mat in front of a wall of mirrors with her arms stretched at an upside-down "V" angle, breathing slowly and calmly. She wears a skin-tight, long sleeve, thigh high, blue unitard and leg warmers over white tights, and black, square rim glasses.

The two girls sitting near the center of the room are three times her youth; the one sitting on the left appearing to be in her mid-teens, her long hair dyed pink and tied into high, unbraided pigtails by a pair of light blue bows, wearing red rimmed glasses and an identical yoga outfit, only the unitard and leg warmers are pink and the tights are light blue.

The second girl is a couple years older, her hair brown, reaching a few inches from her back with a small lock braided and tied to the back of her head. Unlike the girl beside her, her uniform is identical to the elderly woman, suggesting she has some relations to her.

Not one minute after entering the modernized dojo, the elderly woman's eyes snap open.

"**I FEEL IT!!!**" she shouts as she shoots up from her meditative position, revealing her height at a staggering and unusual 6'6", with tears streaming out of her glasses, "**THE FLOW OF ADVENTURE!!! THE EXPERIENCE OF DANGER!!!**"

She whips around to face Ryuta, throwing her long hands up high, "**HE HAS FOUND HER!!! THE CHILD WHO HAS BEEN SEPERATED FROM THE WINGS OF THE GREAT SUZAKU HAS FOUND THE FINAL KEY IN SHOWING THE WORLD THE POWER OF A WOMAN'S GRACE AND MAGNIFICENCE!!!**"

Anna squeaks as she hides behind Ryuta, who just stands in his place with his fists behind his back and his usual nonchalant expression on his face.

"She's so tall...and scary...." she mutters.

"Yeah...she does that every time I come into her dojo," Ryuta mutters while eyeing Anna.

The elderly woman suddenly shows up behind Anna.

"**BUT SHE IS NOT COMPLETE!!!**" she shrills, causing the lone American to squeak again as she turns Ryuta around and hides behind him like a human shield, "**SHE IS MISSING THE MOST CRUCIAL INGREDIENT TO PARTICIPATE IN THE CHILD'S QUEST TO REUNITE WITH THE GREAT SUZAKU!!!**"

"Crucial...ingredient...?" she mutters nervously.

The woman once again gets behind Anna and tears her off Ryuta's back, hardly knocking him over as she drags her to the other side of the brown haired girl and flops her into an Indian-style position on a spare mat while the lone male follows after them in a nonchalant pace.

"**COME, YOUNG ONE!!!**" She swoons as she sways around like a graceful, yet stiffening, swan, "**IT IS TIME YOU LEARNED THE TRUTH OF THE PEOPLE YOU HELP!!! LEARN WHAT REALLY GOES THROUGH THEIR MIND!!! AND UNDERSTAND WHO YOU SHOULD REALLY BE FIGHTING FOR!!!**"

Anna laughs nervously while rubbing the back of her hair, "**Oh...well...I guess it'll be a great honor teaching under you, Obaa-san....**"

Upon hearing the formality, the elderly woman gets into Anna's face, exploding with anger while wiggling her tongue like a monster, "OBAA-SAN!?!?** DIDN'T ANYONE TELL YOU HOW TO PROPERLY RESPECT YOUR MENTORS!?!?**"

Anna squeals as she crawls behind Ryuta as fast as a mouse, peaking around the other side of his knees, "**B-b-b-but...I was speaking respectfully...! How formal do you want me to be...!?**"

"Believe it not, some formalities are overlooked as insults to some people," Ryuta mutters, "In her case, she thinks you're calling her Granny."

Anna shudders a bit before retaking her position back on the mat as the elderly woman marches back over to her original spot in front of the wall of mirrors and sits back into her meditative state.

"**Now then,**" she said, surprisingly calm given her rambunctious performance earlier, but still flaring with shrilling flamboyance, "**Take deep...long sighs...and focus all your attention on your heart and mind....**"

Anna cocks an eyebrow before reluctantly doing as told.

"**Let them be one...let them speak to each other...and allow them to see eye to eye.... You will begin to feel things you have never felt before.... Emotions so deep they cannot be expressed openly....**"

As if on cue, Anna starts to feel different sensations flow through her veins. Her eyes, though closed, slowly begin to show four flames surrounding her, three, calming flames coming from the elderly woman and the two girls beside her, and a hot-blooded flame coming from Ryuta.

With so many emotions expanding around her, Anna was tempted to dig into her former superiors to see what was really going through their heads. But seeing as she was already fed up with their physical attitude as it was, she felt it best to save that for later when she gets back to base. Right now, she was too excited about learning this new ability to want to stop.

And soon, she will gain much more; being able to help the world get back up and fight, no matter who comes along to tell her she should just drop dead and save them the trouble of putting up with whatever she does to piss them off.

And sooner, it seems, couldn't arrive any faster....

* * *

A year later, at the Unagawa Products building, an Office Lady by the name of Sachiko Yamagata is busy collecting copies of paper.

Today is Unagawa Products' 100th birthday, and a celebration of their great expansion is taking place at five on the dot. Sachiko intends to be a part of that party if only for one reason; to dance with the future president, jokingly named Junior.

Girlish screams cut her off as she turns lovingly to find Junior being crowded around by other office workers wanting to grab his attention.

"Junior! Th...the real thing!" they swooned as he passes them by.

"I'll see you at the celebration," he says with a suave wave of the hand.

"Yes, Junior!" the office ladies swoon again before turning their evil focus on Sachiko, "As for you, Yamagata...."

One of them steps in front and thrusts a finger towards her, "You can do all the dirty work!"

Sachiko suddenly pales at the predicament the other office ladies threw her into. Handle copies, serve tea, answer every phone in the cubicles? By the time five 'o clock rolls around, she'd be too exhausted to even fall off her chair, let alone express her affection to Junior!

Her exasperation shoots through the thermometer as she begins shaking and stuttering, "O...O...."

And ripping the stack of papers she held, screaming at the top of her lungs.

_**OUENDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!!!**_

Immediately answering the call, the doors to the office bust open as three girls in blue, western style uniforms slide into the room, throwing their yellow pompoms high into the air.

_**GO!**_

They shout as a further separation from the male's vocal attempts to grab the distress' attention.

Among the two Japanese girls, Aoi Kanda with her pink hair and glasses, and Sayaka Amemiya, with her brown hair and high knowledge of leadership, is Anna Lindhurst, the lone American who has the most experience of cheering in the midst of distraction than the rest of the division. Free of the bandages surrounding her throat and the burden of being tossed out like an empty bag of chips, Anna is full of confidence and will to help Sachiko get through her work day and still have the strength to make the celebration.

They have three hours to get Sachiko through the hustle and bustle of common office lady business. But having spent a full year responding to similar distress, this was nothing more than a trip down memory lane.

The rivaling office ladies thrust a finger at Sachiko, spitting out their first command, "Get the photocopies!"

Sachiko throws her hand against the wall, about to melt down from the thought of not being able to handle all of the office lady work in three hours, when the Cheer Girls show up beside her and shout "go" once again, causing her fright and worry to burn in the heat of hope and determination.

Eyes burning red, she runs off to the copy machine and begins throwing out copies to several desks while J-Pop blares over the speakers to help the Cheer Girls perform fueling motivation to help her move forward.

_Koi wo suru tabi mune bon bo ba bon  
__(Everytime I fall in love, my heart goes bon bo ba bom)  
__Kissu wo suru tabi iya da bon bo ba bon  
__(Everytime I kiss, oh no bon bo ba bon)_

Sachiko grabs the last copies and rushes through the halls towards Junior's office, huffing and puffing with each step.

_Kore zo renai yasashii kokoro ne  
__(This is passion, what a gentle heart)_

Once at the office, Sachiko screeches to a halt behind Junior, handing him the copies she was commanded to make, "He...here...!"

Junior turns around and takes copies with a handsome wink of his eyelids, "Thanks."

_Anata wa mutcha! Matcho! Shitetemo  
__(You are such a mucho, macho!)_

The office ladies, thoroughly jealous of Sachiko's quick feet, throw another task at her, "Bring the tea!!"

_Sou ne jinsei no hoomupeeji  
__(Yes, this is life's homepage)  
__Koushin suru wa sexy biimu de  
__(I'll communicate with my sexy beam)_

Sachiko spends the next hour in the rec room, pouring cup after cup of fresh, herbal tea. Her motion is so fast and unhindered it almost looked like the trays were moving on a conveyor belt, awaiting to be filled with nice warm servings of tea.

_Waratachaou ai shichaou  
__(Laugh and love)  
__Moa enajii de  
__(With all your energy)  
__Wai-yai-ya ai-yai-ya  
__Furu boryuumu de koi no juuteion uuhaa  
__(The signal is on full volume)_

_Hoo-Haa!_

Sachiko takes the last tray and tears down the maze of cubicles to the president office, stopping by Junior's desk to hand him a cup, "He-here!"

"This is delicious tea," Junior says after taking the cup and sipping a taste.

Irate, the office ladies throw another task at Sachiko, "Answer the phones!!"

Sachiko immediately finds herself pushed in front of two rows of desks with phones blaring left, right, front and back.

For a normal person, having to put up with the heated task of answering every phone could only end in confusion and bound wires. But for a determined OL like Sachiko, further encouraged by the song and performance of the Ouendan Cheer Girls, the thought of being able to dance with the waiting president is all the motivation she needs to grab every phone, answer every call, and write down every word that comes out of every costumers mouth.

_Waratachaou ai shichaou  
__Moa enajii de  
__Wai-yai-ya ai-yai-ya  
__Furu boryuumu de koi no juuteion uuhaa_

Halfway through the barrage of blaring phones and yapping customers, Junior picks up one of the phones from his office, "Thank you."

_Koi shichaou yume michaou  
__(Fall in love and dream...)  
__Mou raburii de  
__(...so lovely)  
__Wai-yai-ya ai-yai-ya  
__Furu koosu de koi no dansu saito  
__(The love dance site is in full course)  
__(Koi no dansu saito)  
__Koi no juuteion_

_Uuhaa_

With the clock turning 5, all mayhem and work comes to a stop as everyone prepares for the celebration of Unagawa's 100th year in business.

Attending the party is the future president, Junior, who has chosen the very woman the rest of the OLs have bullied into doing their work for them; Sachiko Yamagata, dressed in a fine, red dress and still boasting the energy to accept one final task for the day; to dance in his loving arms and gaze into his sparkling eyes.

* * *

"Yata! That was so much fun!" Aoi squeals as she and the other Cheer Girls were leaving the building.

"It sure was!" Sayaka said, looking over to Anna, "A year into this business and we're already as popular as the boys. And we have you to thank, Anna-san."

"Please," Anna giggles, "You can call just call me Anna."

"Say! That reminds me!" Aoi pipes up, "How're you fairing with those mean old girls back at the agency? Are they still looking for ways to kick you out?"

"If I hadn't run into Ryuta and found out about this, they would have," Anna said, "But now that I have new ways of expanding my experience, they won't even have try to pour me dry!"

Sayaka runs ahead of them and turns around, "You know what!? Since we worked so hard getting that OL through her day, I say we spend the rest of the night in celebration! What do you say?"

"Yay! I love celebrations!" Aoi squeals with excitement.

"A party to celebrate our first year together?" Anna giggles, "I'm all for it. Where to?"

Sayaka discusses their plans as they continue down the sidewalk towards the apartment her mother rented out for them.


	5. Episode 5: Suffering from Isolation

Revision Note: Sorry for the overhaul and chance in chapter titles. I've had some problems with certain plots and structure and had to go back to redo and scrap certain ideas.

Episode 5: Suffering from Isolation

_A light breeze pushes a small wave of water against the knees of an adolescent wearing an unbuttoned cheer squad uniform; sleeves and pant legs tattered from years of wear and tear. He also wore the white gloves of the cheer squad, only suffering minor splatters of mud and water, and black, bandage-like tape around his ankle and calf._

_He stands a couple feet from the shore of a large lake deep within the forest on the outskirts of Tokyo, breathing slowly while mind training to prepare him for today's experimental practice session._

_Watching eagerly from a dock spanning three feet into the diameter of the lake is a young boy, ranging to be five years. He wore a clean T-shirt and slightly torn jeans, his hair a black fuzz of slowly growing hair as opposed to the near-grayish appearance of the adolescent he admires._

_After a moment, the adolescent snaps his eye open as he steps forward and throws his first punch across the air, releasing his own wind that sent small ripples pushing through the lake before melting back into its surface. He does several more fist moves, each time putting his foot forward for balance while bringing him deeper into the lake and increasing the difficulty of his movement._

_Once the water reached his chest, he began throwing kicks at the surface, sending spikes of water flying through the air which rain down on him and further increase his difficulty. But he doesn't let up; especially when his step movements pull him further into the lake to the point where can hardly keep his feet on the ground without pulling his nose and mouth below the surface._

_Seeing this as more opportunity to strengthen his stamina and strength, the adolescent pushes off what little footing he grabbed and drifted through the surface of the lake, thrusting his fists out and sending more bubbles to the surface. Once the density slowed him down, he swings them back while pulling the rest of his body into an upright position and throwing a left kick, barely sending another spike of water splashing through the surface._

_For the next couple of hours he continued throwing punches and kicks through the lake while alternating between sculling and scissor kicking to keep his head above water until a faint sound of thunder interrupts his practice; looking up to see the clouds blanketing the sky grow darker while stronger winds began to pick up around them._

_"We better get going," he said while swimming back to shore, "Rain's coming sooner than we thought."_

_The boy groans in frustration as he stomps to his feet, "I hate the rain! They're always ruining your practices!"_

_"Just because it's raining doesn't mean I'm calling it quits for today," the adolescent said while shaking excess water from his coat, "We still have the gym my Thai boxing coach owns. I'll just dry off and use that for the rest of the day."_

_"I know that! It's getting there that annoys me!" the boy complains, "The time we spend walking there wastes the time you need preparing for the upcoming tournament next week!"_

_"Oh, come on. Don't tell me you forgot already," the adolescent walks closer to the boy and places a hand on his head, "Anything that involves moving parts of our body can be an exercise; even walking. And with the amount of roots and rocks sticking out of the ground in this forest, I won't have much of a problem keeping my feet strong and prepared for whoever comes at me."_

_He takes a step forwards and throws a punch through the air, "And besides, I can still practice while on our way to the gym."_

_Hearing this, the boy immediately perks up, "Wow! You're the best, Nii-chan! Now I know why they call you the Man from the Wild!"_

_The adolescent chuckles as he pumps his right arm in confidence, "Man of the Wild! That's me, alright, always looking for ways to strengthen myself to take on anyone who tries to take that title from me!" He looks to the shadows of the forest, further darkened by the dimming of the storm clouds overhead, "So those fighters better watch out, 'cause the Doumeki brothers are gonna flatten your reputation!"_

_As if strengthening his confidence, he throws another wild punch from his left arm, exerting all his energy into making it the strongest thrust his little brother laid eyes on._

* * *

To those who call for him, he is a fierce, reliable Ouendan that will use every ounce of energy in his body to shove them in the right direction. When Ryuta or the Cheer Girls' encouraging spirits aren't enough to motivate them to continue their fight, they seek the strict, no-nonsense performance of Kai Doumeki, highly respected Chief of the Cheer Squad.

As for everything else, Kai may as well be the human equivalent to a Rottweiler; a kind-hearted man, trapped in a large, menacing structure that no one dares go near for fear a single drop of spilled coffee on his boot would guarantee their departure to involve two people, and a body bag. And it was all thanks to the times when "I-AM-GREATER-THAN-GOD" Dancho used to march through the city, putting his signature, iron geta sandal through the body of anyone that so much as brushes by him.

Kai admits he became Dancho's unwanted little doppelganger just for the sake of showing Yin that he can be a much better leader than someone who considers any form of physical contact a challenge from the Gods. And he hopes that by putting Dancho in his place (for once), he can prove to the rest of the world that he is no more of a threat when off duty.

Grocery shopping was the worst when he has to get food for the Taijitu brothers. If coming up with a viable excuse of where he got a finely sliced slab of meat or fresh fruits and vegetables wasn't annoying enough, it's standing at the counter, watching the store clerk shaking nervously at his very presence, fumbling with his bags while ringing up the cost and hoping he doesn't get flattened when he presents the total.

Once everything was in order, the clerk attempts to hand the bag to Kai only to lose grip and drop it on the floor, spilling tomatoes around his boots.

The clerk shrills in fright before ducking below the counter, pouring fountains of sweat from his forehead, "I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to-!"

"Just give me the receipt," Kai said nonchalantly as he kneels down and scoops the produce back into the bag.

After handing out the total of yen for the groceries, Kai marches outside, eager to get back home and find something to read (seeing as introducing his less than culturally evolved guardians to television would just instill more fear towards the world and hasten their trek to slam God, or Dancho's, iron fist into the first land that frightens them most).

In the past he would've berated the cashier for apologizing over a simple mistake. But as he grew older he began to get used to being avoided, adopting solitude as a means to focus on what's important; like snapping some sense back into Yin and reminding him the squad wasn't designed to be a crusade for whatever Gods have been haunting him whenever he so much as closes his eyes for more than a minute.

Not two steps from the sliding doors of the market, he felt something collide with his side, jostling enough of his flesh to make him drop the bag he had just spent the past few seconds scooping back together from the earlier fiasco.

"Ow! Geez! Where'd the statue come from!?" grunts a voice from where the collision took place.

Kai turns his eyes to the left of the toppled bag to see a boy, appearing to be in his early adolescence, standing a couple feet from him while grabbing his nose in pain.

He has black, mildly spiky hair covering his head, wearing oval-shaped, strapless glasses, a black school uniform, and a gray backpack, suggesting he was just returning from school.

After readjusting his glasses, as they had toppled to the side of his nose during impact, the boy looks to the source of the collision to see a large, burly chest in front of him; scaling up ever so slowly until he saw the gruff, mean-looking sneer on Kai's face.

The reaction of their encounter was all too familiar to Kai as he watches the boy shudder at his appearance while creeping his way around him, never taking his eyes off as if afraid he would be flattened the split second they fix onto something else.

By the time he got to the other side of the large Ouendan, the heel of his black, red soled sneakers kick into the toppled bag. The boy loses his focus, for once, to stare at the bag, then back to him, before bending down and scooping everything back together.

Once he stood back up, his gaze found a new location on the abnormally large gakuran outfit covering Kai's body.

"Aren't you a little old to be wearing that outfit?" he asked rather nervously. Kai's frown increased, causing him to hesitate, "I mean...unless you're the coach of another school's cheering squad...although I don't remember any school with a crest like tha-"

"I am not some cheer squad coach of a generic high school," Kai said rather irritably, "I cheer for more than mere sports tournaments. I cheer for anyone who calls for me."

He expected the kid to think he was loony and ask another stupid question. Instead, he continues to stare at him, sensing his curious spirit string out of his small being and slither around his heart and mind trying to find some truth to his statement.

Kai's frown tightens in bewilderment, wondering if this kid somehow knew Vermillion Spirit Reading; the ability to peer inside one's soul and see what they're really thinking.

Before he could react to this strange sensation, a different one grabs his attention; highly irritated, desperate, and on the verge of cracking. Disregarding everything else around him, he turns around and marches off in the direction of the distressed spirit, wondering if his aide was needed in their situation.

* * *

Election campaigns in Japan are highly different from ones showcased in America. Candidates take to the streets, decorating their vehicles, and sometimes themselves, with enough slogans and names, and drive around the city, shouting for support from wandering bystanders (often to their annoyance).

There is only one rule, no bargaining whatsoever. Such a case, as with the upcoming mayoral election within the heart of Tokyo, left a fine example in the eyes of those who had been pestered and persuaded to take sides with two unlikely candidates; Eisaku Iijima and J-Yama K-go, one of whom is in violation of such a rule that could turn the tides of those dumb enough to fall for his method of gaining support.

* * *

Somewhere in the streets of Tokyo, Eisaku Iijima is struggling to gain support as he stands outside his campaign van, holding a mic to his mouth and shouting as honestly as he could.

"Please vote for Iijima Eisaku!" he calls out, "Announcing candidacy! I ask you kindly to vote for Iijima Eisaku! Let's build nice streets for everyone!"

Unfortunately, his lackluster campaign is making bystanders purposely ignore him than stick around to see what he had in mind. Eisaku huffs in frustration before a roaring crowd grabs his attention.

Turning to the noise, he finds his opponent, J-Yama K-Go standing on top of his fancy van, holding his hands up high while scantily clad women surround and caress him from behind.

"I am J-Yama K-GOOOO!!!" he shouts.

The crowd screams his name as hearts throbbed in their eyes, reaching up as if trying to tear him off the top of his van.

Eisaku looks on in complete horror, "Wh-what the...!?"

J-Yama pulls out a spray can and aims it at the crowd, squeezing the trigger as jets of mist blow into their faces like wind.

The mist blinds them as their hair undergoes a dramatic transformation into replicas of his purple afro. The hearty gift creates an uproar of support as the crowd begins stumbling around, shouting his name and their support. Eisaku can only watch in horror as what support he should've gotten takes a sudden shift to the wrong side.

"Th-that guy's going to be...mayor!?" he squeaks.

Blue in the face, Eisaku struggles to gather his breath for one final call, "O...O...."

_**OUENDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!!!**_

As he was going into his van and starting up the engine, three men burst out the top of the slogan bolted on top.

The two familiars, Saito and Suzuki, stand on either side of Kai Doumeki, who wore the outfit of the modern-day Ouendan, and the addition of an officer's hat, the roof torn off to allow parts of his spiky hair to stick out, and a gold pin on the front.

_**OSU!**_

They shout as a way of grabbing their distressed caller's attention.

Eisaku panics as he sits inside his van, grabbing his head with one hand and the steering wheel in the other, "I need to do a better speech!"

The Fierce Ouendan appears near the passenger seat of the van and shout "osu" again, injecting a sense of hope and determination into the ailing candidate's heart. Influenced by the sensation, he grabs his mic and runs to the top of the van to give out his speech to the wandering crowd while the Fierce Ouendan stay in the background, using a highly strict, fast performance to help shove him into the direction he desires.

_Nakanai de soko ni wa hora  
__(Don't cry, see right over there is)  
__Kakegae no nai taisetsu na mono  
__(Something irreplaceable and precious)_

Eisaku struggles with his speech, trying to get people's attention with more weak, lackluster promises that were only gaining confused and uninterested looks from the crowd. But after taking a moment to recollect his breath, he throws his campaign out with enough gusto and charisma that the crowd who wasn't fondling over J-Yama began crowding around his van, shouting and cheering his name.

_Me wo tojireba yozora ni utsuru  
__(When we close our eyes, the gentle memories)  
__Yasashii omoide tachi  
__(Show up in the sky)_

There were only a few people left on this corner of the street they had to gain trust from, a trio of elderly women who can't decide which person they should vote for.

_Sakura chiru sono tabi ni mata  
__(When the cherry blossom falls, we shed our tears)_

The two candidates for mayor run over to them, extending their hands in eagerness.

"Please give your generosity to us!" the call in unison.

The woman scratch their chins in thought, "Well...."

"Please give your generosity to us!" the two mayors shout again.

_Kadode no namida nagashita keredo  
__(To welcome the start of our new journey)_

After some thought, the women extend their hands over to grasp Eisaku's hand, "We'll choose this person!"

They then sport encouraging smiles, "Do your best, okay?"

_Namida chiru sono tabi ni mata  
__(Everytime the tears would fall, we could laugh about it)_

Though aggravated by this defeat, J-Yama doesn't let up. He climbs into his decked out van and drives down to the next block, shouting into the loudspeaker as he does.

"I am J-Yama K-Go! Put your votes in for J-Yama!" he shouts as he passes by the street.

Eisaku panics as he catches his rival tearing away from him in a bid to get more supporters, "I have to stop him before he drives me out of the campaign!"

The Fierce Ouendan appear behind him and shout "osu" again, throwing another dose of hope into his heart which causes him to explode with determination.

_Waraiaeta bokutachi ga ita  
__(together once more)_

Not wasting a moment, Eisaku jumps into his van and plows through the streets, intent on getting his message across before J-Yama gets his hands on the next street. Upon catching up to him, they begin scrapping into each other, insistent on knocking each other out of the competition.

_Nakanai de soko ni wa hora  
__(Don't cry, see right over there is)  
__Anata wo tsutsumu taisetsu na hito  
__(That special someone surrounding you)_

In a vain attempt to drown J-Yama's speech out of contention, Eisaku cranks the volume of his loudspeaker and shouts into his mic, breaking his rival's eardrums in the process.

"Everyone!" he shouts, "Give your purifying votes to Iijima!!"

_Hitotsu hitotsu nagashita namida  
__(Don't forget the reason behind the tears)  
__Sono wake wo wasurenai de  
__(We shed one by one)_

With J-Yama lagging behind due to the ringing in his ears, Eisaku takes the opportunity to continue his speech for support.

_Atatakai hito no yasashisa ni  
__(I wonder if I will be able to respond)_

"Give your best supporting vote for Iijima Eisa-!"

He is suddenly cut off by the sudden bashing vibration of his van as J-Yama rams his into the side in a dastardly attempt to run him off the streets. Unfazed by the hostile gesture, he pushes back, both going into a show of strength to see who can plow who into the nearest obstacle standing in their way.

_Boku wa kotaerareteiru no darou ka  
__(To the kind and warmth of others)_

Several struggles ensue before J-Yama's van suddenly overheats and explodes, giving Eisaku more opportunity to grab support from other people wandering the streets.

"It's a victory for justice, everyone!" he shouts as he continues driving.

_Kono tabi ga owaru koro ni wa  
__(When this journey comes to an end)_

J-Yama quickly recovers and makes his way to the auditorium, preparing his next campaign for the supporters he already grabbed.

_Sono kotae mo mietekuru darou  
__(I will be able to see the answer)_

Seeing how large it was compared to the supporters he gained so far, Eisaku is at a loss for confidence.

"I need to do a better speech!" He yelps in exasperation.

The Fierce Ouendan appear behind him, shouting "osu" once again to reinforce his will to grab position of mayor out of J-Yama's cheating hands.

_Kono sora no shita onaji hoshi miagete  
__(Under this sky, looking up at the same stars)  
__Nayamu bokura wa  
__(We worry)  
__Yume wo nigitta mama  
__(Still holding tight to our dreams)  
__Nakiwarai sasaeai shinjiteku  
__(Laughing through the tears and supporting one another, we'll believe)_

Eisaku slaps his hands on the desk as he addresses the bystanders who stopped to glance at his presence.

"Thank you for listening to what I have to say," he said.

"Do your best," the elderly women who supported him earlier shouts.

Eisaku bows in thanks as other passerby start to rally around him for support, "Thank you! I will do my best!"

_Sakura chiru sono tabi ni mata  
__(When the cherry blossom falls, we shed our tears)  
__Kadode no namida nagashita keredo  
__(To welcome the start of our new journey)  
__Namida chiru sono tabi ni mata  
__(Everytime the tears would fall, we could laugh about it)  
__Waraiaeta bokutachi ga ita  
__(together once more)_

Eisaku continues shout out his speech, gaining more supporters from the growing crowd as they shout his name and cheer for his victory.

_Kawariyuku hibi ga  
__(Even if the changing days)  
__Bokura ni fuan no iro wo motarasou to mo  
__(Bring us worries without letting it get to us)  
__Somarazu ni ima wa  
__(Now we'll walk on)  
__Aruku jibun no ishi michishirube ni  
__(Our will show us the way)_

Just as the election was drawing to the close, a cop car drives up to the stadium as two police men jump out, presenting their badge and handcuffs.

"J-Yama K-Go!" they shout, "You are under arrest for violation of electoral laws!"

_Kono sora no shita  
__(Under this sky)_

As the cop car drives away with a horrified J-Yama crammed into the backseat, the rest of the crowd, including the ones that were once swindled by his illegal campaign, continues to shout support to Eisaku. His chances of winning the election is now closer than he anticipated, and he is more than ready to accept it.

_Kono sora no shita  
__(Under this sky)  
__Kakegae no nai taisetsu na mono  
__(There is something irreplaceable and precious)_

"Thank you everyone!" Eisaku shouts with excitement over his victory in the election.

* * *

Hajime pushes the door open as he saunters inside and leans his back against it to slide it shut.

What an eventful day he had coming home from school; first bumping into a large Ouendan who not only used the same Vermillion Spirit Reading he had learned two years ago in a strange village of mist, but also has a knack for using his cheering talents for more than just sports events.

An Ouendan that cheers to the world; this was the break Hajime had been looking for since he got kicked out of the last squad, following his return from the village, over a manipulative complaint from two of the trainees using the old stereotypical cram student jargon to gouge at the coach's patience. Not only would he be able to continue his hobby of cheerleading for those in need, he'll also prove to the world that the Tanakas are a family that didn't become geniuses just by sitting in their rooms all their life, reading books and getting information from the computer.

Jittering with anticipation, he wastes no time kicking his sneakers off and running up to his room, pulling the closet door open to reveal his well preserved Ouendan uniform tossed on the wooden hanger in a neat order: trench coat over pants, with bandana hanging over shoulders, white gloves tucked in its left pocket, and a roll of white tape sticking out the right. The only thing absent are the boots, which are still lined up along the shoe rack next to his parent's work shoes.

Hajime prepares to pull his coat off only to come to the realization that he was still holding the grocery bag the large Ouendan dropped earlier. He quickly shrugs it off, figuring he'll return it to him when he finds the dojo he works at.

He moves to put the bag on the lower bed of the bunk he and his brother sleep in only to notice another distracting factor; his hair. Staring at it a while, he remembered he used to shave his head before joining the previous squad to show just how tough and demanding he is. He figures he should shave it off again so he doesn't become a distracting nuisance to the rest of the squad.

Hajime places the bag on his bed and pulls his coat and shirt off before heading to the bathroom, turning the water on and sticking his head under the tap, drenching his hair to a flat mop, before picking up an electric clipper, checking the batteries before turning it on and running it over his head, sending large locks raining down into the sink, until the only thing left is are the fuzzy bristles giving off a dark gray look to his new appearance.

After sweeping up the shavings and dumping them in the trash, Hajime races back to his room to finish changing into his Ouendan uniform when he heard a ghostly voice echo from the foot of his bed.

_You haven't shaved your head in two years.... Are you trying to get back into the squad again...? _

Hajime looks behind him to see a ghost sitting next to the bag of groceries with a curious look on his otherwise worried face.

He resembled an older version of Hajime with his head shaven to barely visible bristles, wearing the same Ouendan uniform over the black tape wrapped around his ankle and calf, except tattered along the corners of his pant legs and coat; the lack of knowledge in the profession suggests he wore the uniform for purposes other than cheering. A larger, cross-shaped scar on his left cheek further separates his resemblance to Hajime, the vertical stretching from the base of his forehead to the bottom of his chin, taking out his left eye in the processes and requiring a three strapped eyepatch to hide the grotesque injury, while the horizontal starts at the end of his cheekbone and cuts along the top of his nose to the base of his lower eyelids. A fiery, peacock-like, feather-shaped key hung off his neck by fire-shaped beads.

"Nah, coach is stubborn; he'll just take one look at me and boot me out of the stadium," Hajime said while pulling his pants off and tossing it in the closet, "Besides, I found another squad that's so much better than that demanding haze camp."

_Another squad...?_ the ghost mutters as Hajime pulls the baggy pants from his Ouendan uniform and pulls it on.

"Yeah," Hajime pulls the pants on and tightens the black, wool belt around his waist, "While I was leaving school, I bumped into this large man with a cross-shaped scar on his left cheek." He takes out the white bandage and ties it around his stomach, "He said he cheers for anyone who calls for him, so I figured-"

_Cross-shaped scar...?_ the ghost mutters in shock before suddenly appearing in front of Hajime and grabbing his shoulders as he was tightening the knot to his bandage-made corset, _Kai...you saw Kai...!?_

"Kai...? You know that guy?" Hajime yelps in surprise as the ghost's fingers faze through his shoulders, losing grip and dropping him to the floor. The ghost stares at his hands in frustration before flopping back on the bed, hardly causing it to jostle from his weight.

_It's been too long...._ he mutters, _Twelve years spent wondering what those opposing minded old men are doing to him.... Whether he's decided to destroy everyone's hope and make them believe the Gods are the only ones who can give them a happy future...or designate himself the supreme ruler of all that exists and go about killing anyone who isn't stronger than him...._

"Judging by what I saw earlier at that mayoral election, I doubt he hasn't been affected by all those years sleeping under their roof," Hajime said before springing to his feet in excitement, "That's an even better reason to join the squad! If whatever you're looking for is there, I can help you get it without anyone knowing you were there! Then you can be with your brother again!"

_What...!?_ the ghost immediately springs to his feet, _You can't...! There's no telling how much they've changed since I last saw them; the eldest in particular...! If he's succeeded in making Kai accept him as the only adult in existence who knows what's best for him, he could easily kill you without so much as a raised eyebrow from his only 'devoted' follower...! _

"If that was the case, he wouldn't even be in the city with two other guys who share the same desire to bring peace and harmony to the world," Hajime protests while pulling the coat off the rack and throwing the stuff around it onto the rest of his body, "Didn't you mention sometime ago that that elder used to try and kill your brother out of blind fear that he'll know nothing but violence all his life? I doubt he's naïve enough to just jump into his arms after all those years of being chased and beaten into submission; even over some brazen lie he made up just to shatter his dignity. And I'm sure once he sees you with a solid new look and understands how much you still care about him, he'll be able to come up with a brighter solution to helping the elder bounce back from his dilemma without keeping him cooped up in the forest the rest of his life."

The ghost watches Hajime pick up the grocery bag and head out of the room, furrowing his eyebrows further as he looks to the closet where his school uniform lays, waiting to be hung back up.

_I hope you're right...otherwise you'll just worsen the trauma Kai suffered that made him join the squad in the first place...._

* * *

_Just as the adolescent was certain he was slicing thin air with his powerful thrust, his left fist slams into something firm and meaty, releasing an agonized groan from the blind side of his sight. Looking to the source, he sees what could be the largest, oldest man in existence stumble back in pain before sinking to his knees, grabbing his midsection where the fist hit._

_The adolescent panics as he runs over to him, placing a hand on his shoulders, "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to hit you like that! Are you-!?"_

_"__**HEATHEN!!!**__" interrupts the large elder as he shoots up to a mighty stance, knocking the adolescent from his shoulders while raising his foot into the air, "__**HOW DARE YOU TAKE ME DOWN WITH SUCH A WEAK BODY!!!**__"_

_The adolescent tries to regain his footing, shocked and bewildered by the man's sudden bounce back to health. Before he could apologize again, the monster man throws his foot at near blinding speeds straight into his central body, tearing out his vital organs while kicking away the coat sheltering his back, and crushing them into the dirt below._

_"NII-CHAN!!!" screams his little brother as he watches his brother's face twist into sheer horror while falling ever so slowly off the foot and onto the puddle of blood formed from his crushed organs._

_Without the organs keeping his brain functioning, death began to consume his body like savage beetles. The last thought on his mind before it faded from life was a single word in the vain hopes that his next life would hear it and recollect the memories he would soon lose._

_Kai.... _


	6. Episode 6: What Defines Personality

Episode 6: What Defines Personality

Kai finally makes it back to the dojo later that afternoon, followed closely by Saito and Suzuki, throwing the door open and stepping into the hallway.

All three kick off their boots before going their separate ways; Saito and Suzuki heading to the kitchen to snag what they can find in the cupboard of ice that's supposed to be the fridge, while Kai turns his focus to the corridors to make sure Yin isn't around to see him wearing something that does not represent the squad. The last thing he needs is the distraught elder finding out there is another squad that all but rivals the ancient squad and march over there to put its flag through whoever designates himself as leader.

Then again, he wonders if Yin even cares that there is another squad muscling its way into the limelight and stealing those who once relied on them for encouragement and hope. Ever since his disastrous return from Vermillion Village, he hasn't exactly been as devoted to following the original goal of the squad as he was when the former leader was still alive. In fact, he somehow was led to think that all cheering squad are God Slayers and have locked himself in the study most his life, vowing to "spread the Wings of Suzuaku" around his shoulders and use them to bring the world back into believing the one true way of the Gods; a feat that, while almost on the same lines as what the former leader expected in peace, only seeks to bring about a one-sided future as opposed to the harmonious future that was the true center point of the squad's existence.

Kai reaches behind him without looking and shove the door shut only to hear it slam into flesh and bone, squeezing a yelp from the obstacle blocking their connection. His eyes snap towards the sound to see Hajime caught between the door and the frame, bent in a running position which only succeeded in getting him shoulder deep into the dojo before the unfortunate crunch.

Saito and Suzuki poked their heads out of the kitchen as Kai yanks the sliding door back open, letting him fall flat onto his face in the entranceway.

"Ow.... That hurt...." he mumbles as he staggers to his feet and dusts himself off.

"Well, what part of the city did you snatch him from?" Suzuki asked as he and his one-eyed partner move closer to the entrance to get a closer look at the surprise newcomer.

"I didn't snatch him from anywhere," Kai said, more befuddled than irritated.

"Don't be ridiculous, Doumeki-sama, you had to have snatched him from the city!" Suzuki points to the bag of groceries in Hajime's arm, "Why else would he be following after you with the bag of groceries you bought earlier today?"

"Bag of groceries?" Kai shoots another glance at Hajime, then the grocery bag still in his left arm, immediately recognizing him as the bumbling schoolboy who bumped into him back in the city.

Hajime blinks as he looks down to the bag, almost forgetting he was still holding it, "Oh, this?" he holds it towards Kai, "You ran off before I could give this back. I tried to follow you, but it was starting to get dark and your clothes make it hard for me to keep up, so I followed your footprints seeing as they were larger and more human than most of the other trails I found."

Kai's frown tightens at the kid's apparent excuse for...well an excuse. There was no way he could've known he was heading to the dojo with so many of his footprints heading off in different directions. He must have gotten a good enough whiff of his spirit to figure out where he was going, so he doesn't end up taking a wrong turn and become lost in the forest.

Saito and Suzuki, on the other hand, didn't even think Hajime could be lying, and just dumbly assumed he was telling the truth.

"Wow!" Suzuki whistles in astonishment, "That's a pretty smart kid you picked up."

"I told you I didn't bring him here!" Kai growls irritably, sharply turning towards his two blockheaded followers, "I don't even know why this brat decided to follow after me! It's not just to return a bunch of mundane groceries!"

Hajime seemed a bit irritated by Kai's remark, "First off, I'm not a kid; I'll be twenty in a couple of years and I'm capable of taking care of myself." He then throws his free hand behind his back and sporting a soldier-like expression, "And second, I want to help you bring peace and harmony to those who call for you!"

Kai's frown tightens even more as Hajime continues, "I saw you cheering to Iijima-san shortly after bumping into you, and witnessed how you were able to encourage him to fight for the position of mayor; I want to help you keep the effort going for anyone else who calls for your assistance."

Saito and Suzuki glance to each other before crowding around him, poking and pinching his muscles while rubbing their chins in thought.

"With these muscles, are you kidding!?" Suzuki quips, "He wouldn't last a second in the training we'd be setting up for him!"

Kai shook with frustration as he grabs the two and shoves them towards the door, "Shouldn't you two be heading home now!? Beat it before I make enough of a ruckus to wake the Taijitu brothers up and have them chase you out!"

The two cohorts leer at him before stomping their boots on and heading out of the dojo. Hajime looks at them before turning his attention to Kai.

"Does...this mean I can join?" he mutters in confusion. Kai glares at him again before snatching the bag from his arm and heading into the kitchen. Hajime furrows his eyebrows in confusion, sensing a bit of irritation broiling from his fierce spirit, leaving the impression that he was doing something to piss him off. He quickly rushes into the kitchen, finding him slamming the bag on top of a drenched cupboard while pulling its door open and stuffing the meat and vegetables in a mountain of ice cubes.

"At least give me a chance," Hajime pleads, moving closer to Kai, "I know my brother and sister can be a pain sometimes, and I worry more about getting into college than focus on other activities. But I can easily multitask between them and still have enough time to help you save those who need a good push in the right direction!"

Kai slams the cabinet door shut and glares at Hajime again. His eyes speak the truth, but his entire focus is latched squarely onto him. In no way did he think to consider that Saito and Suzuki's insult towards his physique was a hint that they didn't want some scrawny city boy mucking up their reputation as "proud, strong cheerleaders". He only wants Kai's opinion and Kai's alone.

The other members of the squad weren't blind or deaf to the commoners of Japan avoiding Kai when he isn't in the midst of his Fierce Cheering, and how it affected his interest in activities he considers a big waste of time preventing him from keeping his promise of lifting the weight off those who call for him. To him, enrichment is nothing but an excuse to avoid following a strict, mundane regime of keeping up with their performances by playing games that only tailor to certain aspects of their recommended daily practice, while ignoring the most important parts of their squad structure; mainly the art of actually caring about everyone and not just those up to the tip of their hair in danger.

To cheer means to care; and in order to prove it, one must be willing to spend some of their energy helping those who need as much comfort as they do encouragement to fight their problems. Since day one of joining Ryuta's squad, not a single person followed such an example, only showing up when they sense someone in trouble, find that the problem is too pointless and time wasting to put effort into, and leave without even bothering to figure out why they were called in the first place. Kai only knows this because of their reaction after their first, and only, encounter with the Taijitu brothers.

He expected them to pour all of their hatred and downcast to Dancho as he will kill anyone who so much as brushes past him while proclaiming himself the one true ruler of the universe. But no, they only see him as a caged animal waiting to be released upon the world; where as Yin is the most dangerous solely because he destroyed an entire village by merely knocking over a torch standing in his way, and took control of the squad before the rest of the members were aware of what had just happened. Ryuta, the most obviously intimidated of the younger squad, even had the galls to tell him that he should stop wasting his time nurturing Yin and worry more about what's best for the world.

Even though Ryuta is considered a guru at Spirit Reading and knows exactly what set Yin off when he burnt the village down, it didn't excuse the fact that he would brazenly insist that Yin didn't deserve anyone's love or affection, claiming he will only misinterpret them as pleads for forgiveness and force them to pledge their loyalty to the Gods haunting his nightmares.

Kai was aware that Yin was mentally troubled and confused long before he even dabbled in the art of Spirit Reading. But after spending years living with them and seeing how the former leader puts up with their stubborn antics, he knew the only reason Yin continued to act this way is because of the trauma he suffered as a child; knowing nothing but loyalty and obedience, and being too scared of the torturous consequences to even think about wanting to understand the goodness of love and care. And unless he can break him out of that terrified shell and show him that there is more to bringing peace to the world than forcing it to follow nothing but what he considers to be the one true way of the Gods, Yin will soon die a pitiful failure, leaving the fate of the squad to be fought out between him and Dancho; a feat he wants to avoid at all costs.

Kai's frown tightens as he marches over to Hajime, grabs him by the back of his collar and hauls him off the ground, seeing him choke slightly while struggling to relieve some pressure from his throat as he carries him out into a partially open field three feet from the back porch of the dojo.

"You want to know what it's like to reinforce the good of Hope in the hearts of those who call for us?" he asked rather irritably before shoving Hajime out into the center of the field and crossing his arms, "Perform to the music playing around you!"

Hajime stumbles around to stare at Kai in bewilderment as some strange marching band music played around him; this wasn't the introduction he was expecting when he first showed up. Normally, the person in charge of the squad was supposed to introduce him to the other members first before throwing him out into the field to see how much he learned. He must have scared off so many newcomers showing up with brazen eagerness to become heroes that he eventually chose to disregard the acquaintance and jus throw them out there to see if they're even worth letting into the squad.

Frowning a bit in more confusion, he slowly starts to perform as per Kai's orders, his movement slow and less thrusting than even Ryuta's Bold Cheering. It was unknown whether it was because he wasn't sure what he was supposed to be doing, or because he hasn't performed for so long. Neither presumption mattered to Kai as his only desire is to drill the reality of the squad's business into his skull so he would have enough of a shocking realization of what the future has in store for him to send him crying back to the city never to dabble in such occupations again.

He walks over to one of the vines and tears it off the tree it was tied around, releasing it as a board drops towards Hajime, with the confidence that the wallop alone will knock the brash confidence out of him and scare him out of the forest for good. However, the kid not only sensed Kai's anticipating spirit and turned to see the board coming at him, he barely dodged it; standing a couple feet away while staring at it in horrified shock. No high-tailing it, or expressing fear towards him; Hajime just stared at the board, wondering why he all of a sudden decided to throw it at him.

"Are you planning to stare at that board all night!?" Kai shouts in irritation, "If you expect to fight for the sake of the world, you must be able to dance through whatever obstacles get in your way, even if they break every bone in your body!"

Hajime stares at him like he was crazy. He expected he would be shouted at and worked to near exhaustion, not get wailed on by flying boards every minute. It was no wonder he hasn't gotten a lot of help aside from the two that followed his every move. If he was going to be of any use to the squad at all, he would have to prove he can deal with the hardship and dangers. Frowning in determination, he goes back to performing; keeping his mind focused on Kai in case he decides to throw another board at him.

Kai's frown tightens in frustration as he watched Hajime immediately go back to performing, his determination and confidence stronger than before. Obviously he hasn't gotten the message and thinks he can deal with just one board flying at him every time he sensed his anticipating spirit. Intent on shoving that smugness out of his soul, he goes to another vine and yanks at it, causing another board to slide off the branch it laid on and swing towards the newcomer, expecting this wallop to be enough to scare the reality into his mind and convince him to stop trying to muscle his way into something he shouldn't be getting involved in. Unfortunately, Hajime caught the oncoming board in time to bend backwards, throwing his arms out as it sailed over him, barely scrapping the surface of button on his Ouendan coat. Once the danger had passed, he goes right back to performing, still anticipating the next surprise with even more confidence that he can overcome these obstacles.

With each elapsing minute Kai releases more boards at Hajime only to have him dodge them either with an Ouendan maneuver or just stumbling out of the way when he can't think fast enough. This began to annoy him in that despite the kid knowing the dangers he could be facing just by dodging the boards, he still continues to show him up, brimming with confidence that he has what it takes to be at his side at all times.

"So am I in...?" Hajime pants as he hunches over and places his hands on his knees for support while letting the mid-spring breeze dry the sweat on his face, "The music's over and you haven't pelted me with a board for nearly three minutes...does this mean I can join...?"

Kai's irritation boils to anger upon hearing him talking like he had just achieved some major milestone in his life. Everything he did to scare the reality and severity of the squad's mechanics into his brain and he thinks they were all challenges to overcome? If the rest of the squad found out about him and why he was here in the first place, they would see this as an opportunity to embarrass him in front of the entire world and gouge the kid to continue pursuing him with false claims that everything he does to get rid of him is a challenge to gain his sole attention.

However, being jabbed with the "loser" stick isn't nearly as horrendous as what could happen should Yin find out he failed to get rid of Hajime with all the strength and stamina he gained from training with the old leader.

Though he's aware that Dancho is the most dangerous of the two brothers and would drive his foot into the world without a second thought, deep inside, he still cares for Yin, and fears that going against his decision, further threatened by his position as leader of the squad, would sever the brotherly bond they had shared over the years. Contrastingly, however, that bond could also work against Kai's favor if Dancho tramples Hajime to death while Yin is in the midst of his godforsaken hysteria. So grateful for the untimely "rescue", the eldest brother would not only deem him a hero to the world and the true Gods he worships, he will also relinquish the flag to his control, breaking the invisible leash that held him back so many years and allowing him to drive it into the first land he sets his eyes on, creating cracks so devastating, they will swallow anyone too weak to climb back out; forever condemning the world to an era of peace fraught with extermination and control.

Hajime saw a burst of rage explode around Kai as he goes into a savage rampage, tearing off and jerking every vine he grabbed, sending a hail of boards raining down on him. Terrified and confused as to what he did to piss him off, he tries to escape the open field only to catch one of the boards on his back, crushing him hard onto his chest. By the time he regained enough of his senses to look towards the sky, the rest of the boards came raining down on him, leaving him with little option but to curl up into a fetal position and wait for the delivering downpour of pain.

Kai seethes in frustration as he watches the dust kicked up from the crash slowly clear up, revealing a 3ft blanket of wood covering all but Hajime's head, right arm and left hand. He appeared to be unconscious from the downpour, but after a couple minutes a faint groan catches the chief's ear, digging his left fingers into the ground while clutching a patch of grass with his right in a futile attempt to pull himself out.

His tenacity remains strong, if not cluttered by the wave of confusion burning in his heart, wondering why he was so angry with him after everything he did to prove his worth to the squad. This only boiled Kai's anger further; even in this state, he continues yearning for his attention, not once taking the hint that he was has now become a big pain in the ass just giving off the sense.

Kai sharply turns and heads back to the dojo, leaving the boy alone in the forest as a last resort to crush the confidence he gathered earlier after running into him back in the city. For once he can be thankful for the absentmindedness of the squad's so-called "Bold Leader" coming across him the next morning, take one look at the true colors of the city boy, and drive him back home to hug his family and vow never to get himself into trouble again.

Unbeknownst to the leaving chief, the one-eyed spirit appears from behind one of the trees, thoroughly shaken by what he had just seen, and the sense of desperation he felt that transformed him into a savage madman with nothing but pride and honor on the brain.

_Kai...._ he mutters distraughtly, _Wh...what've they done to you...? What happened to everything I taught you; the promise you made to the old leader of using his talents to bring peace and harmony to the world...? You can't possibly think you're accomplishing it by abandoning those who admire you most...._

He looks back over to Hajime, who begins to lose consciousness from the exhaustion he suffered during Kai's expedition earlier. Worried he'll succumb to the cold mid-spring night he prepares to run over to him when he sensed someone approaching the area, and looks past the sandwiching pile to see Ryuta emerge from the shadows, stopping in front of the ailing newcomer.

The Bold Ouendan stares at Hajime a while as his curious spirit slithers out his heart and mind and pierces into his consciousness; a peculiar sign that he has also been involved with the ways of Vermillion Village.

The one-eyed spirit watches as Ryuta begins kicking off the boards before reaching in and pulling Hajime over his shoulder, turning and heading into the forest further from the city than what Kai had expected earlier. His reason for doing so had nothing to do with spiting his presumption that he was going to brazenly ship Hajime home over a simple sense of fear and loneliness.

Weary of what he was planning to do with Hajime, the spirit trails off after him, wanting to make sure he wasn't going to do anything that would shatter what little confidence he had in making the squad.

* * *

_Today seemed like just another day for an ordinary student going to school and learning more about basic life than their naïve minds can comprehend. But then again, Hajime isn't one of those sit-at-home-and-study students._

_A prodigal honor student, and eldest of the Tanaka family, Hajime wants to do more than just sit in his house and study after class. He wants to explore the psyche of the world, and learn as much as he can while having some fun in the process._

_His first foray into understanding the life of the world, once he reached a reasonable age to leave the house at his own leisure, was to enroll into a Japanese Cheer Squad at his school; a prime way to help others pull through the sweat and pain while observing how well they work against an opposing team._

_A month into his training, rumors began to spread around the school that the science class who had mysteriously disappeared prior to his enrollment into the squad have slowly begun to reappear in scattered numbers. Most of the students appear to be a bit unstable from their disappearance, taking a severe disliking to the very sight of an unharmed egg, one being so terrified of its presence he was send to the psychiatric ward for destroying the eggs in the kitchen fridge; while the rest don't appear to be fazed by the notion that they've been gone for over a month._

_Hajime wonders if this had anything to do with the urban legend he's been hearing lately concerning a forest of mist trapping people in human-size eggs and dragging them into some twisted dimension full of monsters and Shinto shrines inhabited by monks wearing vermillion hued cloaks. His parents had been very strict about believing things brought about by mass hype over a misunderstanding and would've been urged to brush off the legend as just a bunch of bullies playing pranks on weary travelers. But after witnessing the strange phenomenon going on at his school he felt tempted to head over there and at see if it really is a trap set to cause mass hysteria among the unsuspecting crowd._

* * *

_Later that afternoon, Hajime ventures into the southern forest of Tokyo in search of the mysterious mist; which didn't take long as about halfway into the heart of the forest, the terrain below him suddenly crumbles under pressure, sending him tumbling down a slanted cliff before eventually hitting solid ground._

_After taking a moment to regain his senses, Hajime drags himself to his knees, looking around to find himself in a near blinding scene of white with no sign of visibility in sight. Just as he was about to get up and wander further into the area, he heard footsteps approaching him before silhouettes materialized behind the veil of mist surrounding him._

_Hajime compresses his lips nervously as he staggers to his feet, trying to get away from the mysterious shadows only to bump into someone who shoves something against his rump and turns it upright, yanking him clear off his feet. Looking down, he finds himself sitting atop a large egg with a quarter of its top removed._

_The two silhouettes waste no time approaching him and shoving him further into the object, forcing him into a fetal position with his arms crossed over his chest, leaving his head the only part sticking out. A third silhouette, the one responsible for ramming an egg underneath him, reaches into his cloak and pulls out a sake barrel with the symbol of Suzaku painted on the sides, turning it over and pouring raw egg white into the near crammed eggshell._

_Hajime watches in bewilderment as the egg white began to swallow up his body, realizing these were the people responsible for scaring away the innocent travelers that wandered into their mist. He couldn't see their faces due to the obscurity of the mist, but he was sure they were waiting for him to freak out and try to escape their torment; something he planned to shove back into their face like the few people who managed to survive this ordeal._

_The barrel empties once the egg white reached the very rim of the shell, leaving him up to his neck in the substance. At this point, he would've expected them to congratulate him for not freaking out like every other person they've tormented so far. Instead, two of the silhouettes picked up the other half of the shell and began lowering it over his head, intent on sealing him inside._

_This is probably the turning point in which the victim's nerves were shot, causing them to scream and fight their way out of the mist. As Hajime was waiting for the shell to drop down on top of him, a fourth silhouette stood in the distance; except, unlike the three that confronted him, he was glowing a ghostly blue, making him as visible as day. _

_He looked like a poor boy's version of Hajime, his hair shaven to gray bristles with a large, cross-shaped scar plastered on his ghostly skin that was the cause of him having to wear an eyepatch over his left eye, tears along the cuffs of his pant legs and coat tail, and wearing black tape around his calf and ankles. He appears to be in distress, but doesn't do anything to stop them, seeming to suggest he's been put through this before._

_Hajime frowns a bit in more bewilderment, about to speak out when the shell clamps shut over his head, obscuring him in darkness. Before he could figure out what's going to happen next, a strange, calming sensation washes through his body, lulling him into easing his tension as his eyes sagged from the comforting effects despite the cramped position he was forced into._

_This was the most comfortable he felt in his entire life. His family could be worried sick about him not coming back for days and he wouldn't care as long as he can stay like this forever. He couldn't help but fall asleep despite not knowing what was going to happen to him at this point in his life; whether they were going to manipulate him into becoming one of them or feed him to a giant condor._

* * *

Early the next morning, Kai is already up, wearing his ancient masculine cheerleader outfit, and busy in the kitchen chopping up vegetables and meat, scooping them into a wooden bento. He doesn't pay any physical heed to the approaching bold spirit outside the kitchen window, knowing it belonged to Ryuta arriving to smuggle food from the brothers before they woke up for their daily meal.

By the time Ryuta got to the window, he instinctively catches a flying bento wrapped in a red cloth to indicate this belonged to him. He stares at the box a minute before looking back to where it came from while taking one hand off and planting it on his side.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" he asked rhetorically. A half hour passes before another bento in a violet-red cloth flies through the glassless window and lands on top of the one wrapped in red.

The Japanese word for "dinner" was hand-painted on the top of the newly made bento; this wasn't the message Ryuta was trying to send, but considering what he found last night and Kai's one-track minded focus zeroed in solely on the wellbeing of the Taijitu brothers, it didn't seem surprising that he would purposely misinterpret his hint as pestering him to toss out dinner instead of extra servings for the very person he wanted to get rid of.

"Itadakimasu...." Ryuta growls in sarcasm before heading back into the thickets of the forest.

* * *

The rays of morning light seeped through the cracks in the trees, leaving a warm glow on Hajime's face as he groans and opens his eyes to find himself staring at the gray ceiling of a small bus somewhere deep in the forest.

He lays on a white sleeping futon with a red, black bordered blanket covering him from the neck down, and his bandana and glasses dangling halfway off the couch taking up the back of the bus where he laid. Despite being in immense pain from the downpour of boards he endured last night, the only thing on his mind is getting back to Kai before he presumed last night's ordeal had sent him running home scared.

Just as Hajime had struggled to prop himself on his elbows, nearly three times his own weight crashes down on top of him, squashing him back onto the futon.

"Where do you think you're going 'Yuge'?" snorts a voice from where the near bone-crushing weight came from. Hajime snaps his eyes open to see a blurred vision of Ryuta sitting on top of him, Indian-style, pulling off the cloth to his breakfast.

"Yuge...!?" the pinned cheerleader grunts, trembling from the sandwiching pressure.

Ryuta smushes the violet-red bento in Hajime's face where he can barely see the kanji for "dinner"; a form of insult to the notion of his near-sightedness, "That is your name, isn't it?" He pulls the lid off his bento and takes out a pair of old, wooden chopsticks, clacking them together as he eyes the irate newcomer, "I understand that most parents would use generic, yet unique sounding words to name their children. But I find it hilarious that you were named after the third meal of the day." Hajime growls in anger as he reaches in and picks up a cherry tomato, "Your parents must be too lazy to give you a proper name."

"I don't have time to put up with your petty insults...!" Hajime seethed as he lifts his arms in a vain attempt to knock Ryuta off, "I have to get back to him before he heads into the city to continue his business...!"

Ryuta tries to eat the cherry tomato only to be knocked around by Hajime's weakened attempts to push him off. Annoyed, he twirls around and slams his boot-covered feet on his elbow joints, the blanket thankfully cushioning most of the impact.

"Just because I dragged you out of that training zone Kai built and sacrificed a good night's rest giving you my sleeping bag doesn't mean you get special treatment, kid," he said before tossing the cherry tomato in his mouth, chewing a few seconds, then swallowing, "Newbies like you need to learn to understand the brotherhood of the squad if you want everyone else to respect you as a reliable member."

Hajime's growling grows louder as he struggles to pull his arms free from Ryuta's boots, "And since you just so happened to show up unannounced, profusely begging to be accepted, you've just been promoted to the runt of the 'hood; guaranteeing you mountains of physical roughhousing until you either figure out how to fit into the squad, or curl up and die."

"If that's what it takes to prove that I'm not some thrill seeking high school student burdened by college and younger siblings, I'll gladly crawl back to him with whatever joints are still connected to my body!" Hajime snaps, causing Ryuta's frown to tighten slightly, "I did what he wanted; I performed to the music he played and dodged what he threw at me, but all it's done is piss him off to the point where he just buried me under those boards and walked off like he didn't want me around!"

Ryuta snorts and turns back to the side, purposely kicking Hajime in the face as he reassembles his Indian-style position, "You're right. He doesn't want you around." He then picks up a small squid between his chopsticks and examines it, "In fact, he completely disemboweled all knowledge that you existed, thinking you were already dumped back on your parents' doorstep, too traumatized by the ordeal to even think of going anywhere near him. But it has nothing to do with your position in school or family bloodline."

Hajime immediately stops struggling and stares dumfoundedly at Ryuta as he slurps the squid into his mouth and swallows it whole, "Kai grow up in a very rough environment most of his life. His mother died giving birth to him and his father committed seppuku out of devastation, leaving him in the care of his older brother, Yatto, who was soon killed by Dancho, dropping him in the care of the only two elders he would grow to call his family."

Ryuta picked up a whole hardboiled egg between his chopsticks, "Yatto struggled to raise Kai for the first five years of his life, struggling through bills and making sure there was enough food and clothing to keep them safe and protected. But their time spent together was short-lived when an accident provoked Dancho to kill Yatto, landing Kai in the care of the other two elders, one who raised him like the grandfather he never had; while the other will later try to 'contain his vengeance' by erasing his memory of everything he knew about his brother and forcing him to accept him as the only adult in existence that will help him cope with the reality of the world around him."

"So why's he continuing to hang around that squad after the brothers started mucking it up to their own demented rendition of what brings peace?" Hajime grunts, still feeling the pressure of Ryuta's weight on top of him, "If he can't stand being around them, why not just leave and-!" he was interrupted by the hardboiled egg being shoved halfway into his mouth.

"Kai owes a lot to the former leader for sacrificing his love to take him in and raising him shortly after his brother was killed," Ryuta said before releasing the chopsticks' hold of the egg, "The brothers grew up in the late Meiji Period during the midst of the Restoration where religion is barely finding an audience within the heart of those still living in the feudal era of Japan. Their parents used metaphors to scare them into obeying their elders, not realizing the horrors that await them when they leave the house to attend school everyday."

Hajime stares at the egg before sucking it into his mouth and chewing on it, "Elderly priests relentlessly bombarded them in the streets, sticking bibles in their faces and demanding they read and understand the heroic acts of those who follow the will of God in order for Japan to be recognized by His holy divinity. The torture was so overwhelming to the brothers it took a single nightmare involving their versions of the Gods to drill in the spiraling personalities they harbor today."

Ryuta begins digging through his bento for something else to eat, "Kai sees Yin as the most helpless of the two brothers because he thinks his obsession with the Gods is due to a lack of love he endured during his childhood; and is so determined to maintain that belief he will tell off anyone that so much as possess a flicker of hot-bloodedness when talking back to him in a hostile manner. He has no clue just how far he's fallen into Yin's manipulating hands; and what could happen if he doesn't wake up and realize that no amount of affection or love is going to bring him out of the traumatized state he's locked himself in following the death of the former leader."

Hajime furrows his eyebrows in worry as he takes in the information Ryuta was giving to him, wondering what might happen to Kai if he continues to stick up to the two brothers before realizing he was about to be twisted into their own swirling path of destruction. He eyes towards the couch at the back of the bus, knowing the one-eyed spirit is sitting near the right corner, overhearing everything with an even more worried furrow of his eyebrows and the same sense of helplessness over what he can do to resolve the situation without making it worse.

* * *

_Hajime muffles a content moan as his senses returned from what could've been the most comfortable sleep he had in years. He could probably sleep like this all day if not for one problem._

_The cramping sensation he felt earlier was starting to creep up to him, and the warmness of the shell became unbearably suffocating. What tranquility he had earlier suddenly turns to panic as he struggles to get out of the egg only to tip it over to his right side, hearing the sound of straw being squashed._

_Desperate to get out, he muscles his hands out from their crossed position and plants them on the closest space he could find near his throat, using his back as a battering ram to press against the shell, eventually causing a streak of cracks to form around him before the entire shell split open, spilling him onto his back as he sprawls out and gasps thirstily for sweet, cold air._

_Seconds after breaking out of his predicament, he felt a splash of water fall into his mouth, nearly causing him to drown as he swallowed what he could before staggering to his side, coughing where the rest of the water travelled down. He then tries to get up only to feel his body buckle from exhaustion, dropping him back onto his side._

_A shadow blankets him as he felt a dry cloth dab against his sweat-drenched face, prompting him to look up to see the one-eyed Ouendan standing beside him, staring at him with the same, nervous look as before._

_But something was different about him; he wasn't glowing like before, revealing his human colors, altered slightly by the sheer paleness of his skin almost giving off a zombie-like feeling._

_"Wh...what're you doing to me now...?" he pants as he pushes himself into a propped position on his elbows._

_Upon gazing ahead of him, Hajime sees rows of eggs, as large as the one he was incased in, standing on queen-size boxes full of fresh straw, with the vermillion-cloaked monks, all of whom wore phoenix-wing-like capes around their shoulders, drifting through aisles, cleaning and candling them, the light produced from their large flashlights exposing other humans sitting in the same whites, some seeming to recede into their bodies, forming some kind of clothing._

_Hajime shook at the bewildering sight as he scoots away from it, "Wh...what's going on...!?"_

_"I'm sorry...." the one-eyed Ouendan muttered, gaining a still bewildering glance from Hajime, "Please don't be scared and take this the wrong way...."_

_"What're you...?" Hajime's question gets cut off by the muffled sound of a scream two rows from the nest he laid on, looking towards it to see one of the monk's candling the target egg in which a feminine shadow thrashes about within it before toppling off and shattering on the wooden floor, spilling egg white against the side of the nest it once stood on._

_The woman staggers to her feet, whipping her head around at the disturbing rows of large eggs and the monks stopping their work to stare shockingly at her inadvertent escape before dropping what they were doing and making a patient move towards her._

_Her eyes widen in sheer horror as she screams and scrambles for the doors of the humanoid chicken coop, knocking over eggs and shattering them in her wake, revealing other people covered in the same substance, some wearing soggy, unstable robes fluctuating in different shades of vermillion._

_Seconds after being released from their confinements, they began to come to their senses, witnessing the same thing as the escaping woman, many freaking out and making a break for the door while others began smashing eggs in a brazenly heroic attempt to free others trapped in their eggs, blindly assuming they were being held hostage by cruel madmen._

_Hajime grits his teeth in confusion and fright as he scoots further away from the fiasco only to lose his footing and topple onto his back at the edge of the nest. He lets out a pained grunt before pushing himself onto his elbows, opening his eyes to find himself wearing the same vermillion cloak and phoenix-winged cape over his Ouendan uniform._

_Shocked, he scrambles to his feet, about to say something when he heard exasperated mutters from the nest he fell off of._

_"I'm sorry...I'm so sorry...."_

_Looking to the voice, he sees the one-eyed Ouendan huddled near the floor, covering his ears as he trembles in distraught over the mass hysteria occurring around him. His eyebrows furrow in more confusion, wondering what could have happened to make these monks want to fill these people with so much trauma and sorrow. _

End Notes:

"Itadakimasu" is common, yet formal, Japanese thanks to the provider of the food and the spirits of the natural ingredients in which the food was prepared from.


	7. Episode 7: Achieving the Impossible

Episode 7: Achieving the Impossible

After a hearty breakfast, Kai heads off into the forest for his daily training, setting up the boards so that they are dangling around him in stead of resting on the branches of the trees acting as the dome of the field. He then stands in the middle of the field, taking a moment to train his mind to adapt to the beating of his heart as though it were the sound of beating Taiko drums, taking the fans out of his belt and going into the first half of his performance, slightly different from what he would usually perform when joined by the younger, more agile squad in the city.

Yatto stood a few trees from the training zone, watching with some nostalgia as he knew exactly what Kai was going to do with the boards surrounding him. Each slap of a single board triggers a chain reaction of literal blood and sweat as Kai has to dodge and block them all to keep them from hitting his body and head.

Having dealt with this challenge in the past, however, this was nothing more than memorization; one he's been getting real tired of repeating every morning after breakfast. But to Yatto, it was a relieving sign that the Taijitu brothers haven't smothered him too deeply with their rendition of what peace should represent.

Hajime hobbles towards Yatto, about to say something when he looked past him and noticed Kai's performance becoming more energy exhausting with boards flying all over the place and him effortlessly dodging them with clean, precise, ancient Ouendan manuvers.

_I used to do something like this in the gym back when I was still alive.... _Yatto mutters, indicating his awareness of Hajime's presence, _And he would always be in the sidelines, cheering me on.... It's hard to believe he would use my method to boost his performance, but it shows how well he remembers the times we spend together...._

Hajime walks towards the spirit and places his hand on his shoulder, "We know the key to regaining your tangibility is here. We just need to figure out how to get it out of those brothers' hands before they start using it to their own means."

The spirit sighs, about to speak when a foreboding sense of rage struck both their hearts, sending chills down their spine so cold they almost looked like they were going into convulsions trying to shiver it off.

Both turn around in time to see Dancho collide with Hajime, who was unfortunate enough to block his path towards the dangling boards obscuring any knowledge that Kai is nearby. He gave no acknowledgment or awareness that he was in the midst of trampling a breathing soul; terrifying signs of just how much he sees the very existence of beings weaker than him.

Acting on instinct, Hajime shoves his hands towards the bulldozing monster man with enough force to gut his midsection and send him stumbling back a few inches. Yatto's eye widens in horror as the gesture only increases the blood-red rage engulfing Dancho's being; finally acknowledging the defender's presence, but not with the slightest intention of apologizing for his brazen intervention.

"_**IMBECILE!!!**_ " he roars with enough vocation to send all winged creatures from miles away flying for their lives, "_**YOU DARE CHALLENGE WHAT SO MANY OTHER STICKS OF MEAT HAVE FAILED AND DIED TO ACHIEVE!?!?**_"

Dancho raises his foot and thrusts it towards Hajime only to have him split to a right crouch, throwing his hands out as he barely misses getting impaled by the thread of his coat. But in doing so he reawakens the pain he suffered from last night's exhibition from hell, causing him to grit his teeth as he struggles to regain his senses.

Enraged by the newcomer's sudden evasion, Dancho retracts his raised foot and slams it into Hajime's face, just as he manages to stand somewhat straight. The connection careens him into the crowd of boards, triggering a chain reaction far more devastating than Kai can handle, forcing him to scramble out of the training zone in a bid to save himself.

Turning back to the fields, he finds Hajime struggling to get back to his feet while grabbing the new pain he received from Dancho's brashly vengeful rampage.

Not a second after grabbing his face, something warm and wet seeps onto the fabric of his gloves, causing his eyes to snap wide open with dread as he pulls them away to find stains of blood coating his palms, with more flooding out of his injured nose.

Upon seeing the blood, Hajime screams in hysteria, scrambling between shaking them from his gloves and raking his fingers over the red mustache forming over his lower face, while scrambling away from his landing point like a frightened raccoon.

"GET IT OFF!!! GET IT OFF!!!" he screams, trying to get up only to slip on a damp patch of grass and fall back down.

Mere seconds after falling over, the sound of snapping vines reaches everyone's ears as Dancho tears the boards off his trajectory path, eyes zeroed in on the panicking newcomer who was too overwhelmed with his fear of blood to do nothing but scramble into a sitting position against a nearby tree.

"_**HEAR THIS, WEAKLINGS!!!**_" he roars as he stops in front of Hajime and lifts his foot again, "_**NO MATTER HOW MANY OF YOU DARE TO CHALLENGE ME FOR CONTROL OF THE WORLD, I WILL STRIKE YOU DOWN WITHOUT FAIL, FOR I AM THE ONE TRUE RULER WHO HAS SUCEEDED IN SLAYING THE GODS THAT CORRUPTED THIS WORLD WITH YOUR EXISTENCE!!!**_"

As Kai watches Dancho prepare to throw his iron geta sandal at Hajime, who scrambles onto his back and throws his hand out to catch the oncoming foot, a horrifying resemblance flashes in his eyes, obscuring the scene before him with shadows in the midst of a rainstorm, the opposing a younger Dancho, and the defending a resemblance to Hajime.

_**HEATHAN!!! YOU DARE TAKE ME DOWN WITH SUCH A WEAK BODY!?!?**_

Just as Dancho was about throw his personal guillotine towards Hajime's body, a bellowing roar, three times louder than even the monster man's, echoes throughout the forest. Before either could lock in on the source, a black streak collides with Dancho, plowing him into another nearby tree and almost uprooting it from the ground.

Hajime snaps his head to the collision to see a highly irate and enraged Kai wailing on the attacker with his fists, each connection sending his face flying in nine different directions.

"I'LL KILL YOU!!!" he roars in hysteria as tears flew out of his eyes, "I'LL KILL YOU BEFORE YOU LAY YOUR FILTHY FOOT ON HIM!!! I'LL KILL YOU!!!"

Hajime watches the horrific event unfold, too terrified of the blood flying out of Dancho's face to figure out whether he should stop Kai or sit back and let him continue beating the genocidal monster man to a fatal pulp.

"What is going on out here!?" booms another voice that brought the brutal onslaught to a screeching halt.

Kai blinks as he snaps back to his senses, finding him stooping over a mangled and unconscious Dancho. Shocked by his actions, he stumbles away from him, looking towards the source of the voice to see Yin march from the shadows and plant himself in front of his face-mangled brother, his harsh, yet terrified frown shaking his nerves even more.

"Explain yourself, Kai!" Yin demands, "Why have you suddenly decided to attack my brother after everything we have been through to bring peace and unity to the world!?"

Kai panics as he backs further away from Yin while eyeing Hajime, who had covered both his nose and mouth while staggering to his feet and backing away from the scene of the chaos, too terrified of the blood oozing out of Dancho's nose and mouth to think of nothing but escaping.

Yin's tantalizing/horrid gaze falls upon the slowly fleeing newcomer, his frown shaking upon getting a good hard look at his appearance as a sense of dread washes over his once righteous spirit.

"What is the meaning of this, Kai," he mutters, calm, yet horrified by what he was seeing, "What is this child doing in our territory?"

Kai's panic deepens to mental hysteria, "No wait! It's not what you think! I...!" he starts to trail off, afraid of what will happen if he told Yin he let a city boy get the best of him.

"Is this the result you have shown me after so many years living under our master's roof?" Yin mutters, his trembling increasing to the rest of his body, "Attack my brother out of vengeance of someone you claim is not a figment of your traumatized imagination? To think I could rely on you to understand how important this squad is to the future of our world...."

Kai's panic drops to nerve-wracking bewilderment. Though this was the alternative he was hoping for, the fact that Yin brings it up in the first place was anything but a relief to him; and the fact he hasn't eased his tension suggests he is still teetering towards hiding behind his brother for protection from Hajime.

After what seemed like a gut-wrenching hour, Yin's tension on his frown and trembling eventually let up, returning him to his tranquil, distraught state, "It would seem all those years spent away from this dojo has left you lost and confused; unsure of where your place will be once I have shown the world the one true way to peace and unity." He turns towards the darkness of the forest, grabbing the back of Dancho's uwagi, "So it is vital that I remind you of the importance of this squad and why our future will come to depend on it."

With that he marches off, leaving Kai to stay in the middle of the training zone, shaken by what Yin was going to do to him once he returns to the dojo.

Hajime watched the whole fiasco unfold, still shaken by the ordeal of his hemophobia, before swallowing up the courage to creep back over to Kai.

"I'm...I'm sorry, senpai...." he stutters nervously, "I didn't mean to get you in trouble; I just...."

At the sound of the word "senpai", both fans literally snap in half as Kai threw his fist into the air and drops it like a ton of bricks square on Hajime's head, with enough impact to flip him over and smack his chin on the partially grassy dirt beneath him.

"NEVER call me SENPAI _**AGAIN!**_" Kai nearly roars as Hajime drags himself to his hands and knees while grabbing his throat and coughing the pain out. He glares furiously at him before storming off back towards the dojo, once again leaving him alone in the fields to watch him leave.

* * *

High above the bright, sunny skies is a doorway to heaven, where many ghosts of man and creature line up, waiting for the rite of passage into a new life. One ghost, however, is reluctant to join the flock.

"Let go of me! I beg of you! Let me go back!" exclaims Tetsu Ishida, a 27-year old motorcyclist who had recently died in an accident. He fights against the smaller angels who are trying to push him into the back of the line to prepare him for his next life.

After much tussling, a taller, more beautiful angel appears. She is blue and draped in a white robe with more than two wings lining her back.

"Ishida-san, what is wrong?" she asked gently. Tetsu looks over to her, hesitant and worried.

"Please, let me go back to Earth!" he pleads, "I...I had an argument with my wife just before the accident.... I want to tell her one more time that I love her!"

The angel remains silent a moment before smiling warmly, "I understand. I shall give you three hours."

Tetsu seemed surprised at first, but regains his composure and frowns in determination, "After that, I will come back! Thank you!"

The stairs appear, leading back to life on earth. Tetsu stares long and hard, "I have to hurry.... Alright!" he then rushes down them, having only one thing on his mind, "Ryoko, I'm going now!!"

As he made his way downstairs, he utters a word that will help him further rekindle the bond with his wife.

_Ouendan...!_

* * *

Ryuta laid back on the roof of the blue bus, hands behind his head, as he watches the fluttering show of cherry blossoms pluck off the branches of the forest and twirl towards the less than spectacular dirt. One of them landed on his nose, prompting him to pick it off and examine its soft, pinkish white texture.

"You lazy good-for-nothing!" growls a voice from below, "That mess was entirely your fault!"

Ryuta doesn't bother looking down to the source as he knew it was Kai standing on one side of the bus with an irate glare in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, my brain must be too lazy to retrace its steps," he said sarcastically, "Mind telling me what kind of mess I made this time?"

"You know very well what you did! And don't even act like you gave a crap about that scrawny little brat you dragged back to your little bungalow on wheels! You only kept him here just for the joy of seeing me trying to explain myself in front of Yin when you knew how easily terrified he can be!"

"Aw, I'm hurt," Ryuta snorts sardonically as he flicks the cherry blossom over his head, "I thought you'd be happy I put aside my hot-bloodedness for once to take care of someone you oh so _obviously_ had no idea he would _mysteriously_ fall under a barrage of boards, set up in such a way that even the blind condor wouldn't accidentally knock them over."

He pulls out a folding fan made of red, more flexible fabric and flips it open, revealing the same symbol as his armband, "Besides, it's no fair that the only 'sophisticated' members in my squad are the Cheer Girls." He sticks the fan in front of him in a position that hides his lower face from Kai's viewpoint, "I've always wanted an honor student who can think fast and learn how to outmaneuver his surroundings. He'd make an excellent leader once we shove him in the right direction."

Kai shook with frustration over Ryuta's suggestion, "This is exactly why you have more leaders than followers! You never assert your authority and persist on the idea that anyone who leads a performance can lead a squad!"

Ryuta snorts again as he shuts the fan and turns to his side, resting his cheek on his left hand while placing his right on his side with the fan sticking upwards, "Sorry, I don't believe in the idea of ruling with an iron fist. I'd look like a liar claiming I care about the world when I treat my brothers and sisters like the dirt we walk on; not to mention having one sole leader will only crumble the squad a lot faster, either by breaking down and crying or battling for control, than if there were at least three maintaining its balance."

A vein pops out of Kai's forehead the more he struggles to keep calm, "You go ahead and continue wallowing in that folly little belief of yours! But once I get that flag from Yin, I'll see to it that your so-called 'brothers and sisters' know their place and learn to abide by the rules given to them the moment they choose to continue working in this business!"

He then turns and marches back into the forest leading back to the dojo, leaving Ryuta to watch him go before snorting a third time and collapsing onto his back, placing his hands behind his head, and going back to admiring the cherry blossoms sheltering the darkening dusk sky.

Not two minutes after the near heated argument over what constitutes a proper hierarchy, Ryuta is interrupted by the bus jostling slightly as the sound of hands slapping metal rings in his ear. Looking to the source he sees Hajime pressing his hands against the outer wall of the bus, dropping his head between his hands.

"I'm such an idiot!" he complained, "I can't believe I went and expressed my fear of blood to him! Now the rest of the squad is going to think I'm a wuss and want nothing to do with me!"

He slaps his hands off and saunters over to the folding doors, pushing them open as he heads inside, seeing Yatto sitting at the very far end, elbows on his knees while his chin rests on his hands. His once ghostly blue is slightly dyed with red, producing a light purple shade.

_Fantasy...._ he mutters with a slight irritated tone, _Even after he reached adulthood, the old man's still using that manipulating excuse to make Kai cling to him like he was some scared kid suffering from Down's Syndrome...!? I haven't been with him for twelve years, and even I would know when to back off when he's old enough to take care of himself...!_

Hajime walks over to him and sits beside him, "You saw the training he was doing earlier to perfect his performance. It's a positive sign that he hasn't given into the old man's presumption that you were some traumatized dream he made up to help him cope with the overwhelming reality of the world around him."

_But it's still so hard spending my afterlife thinking about how much more pressure Kai's memories can take before he eventually buckles and accepts that depressing lie; surrendering his freedom to the nightmares poisoning that old man into believing the true Gods are demanding redemption from the world...._

He drops his head down while wrapping his hands around the back of his neck, _What's worse is the fact that he isn't acting out of habit or decision; so terrified of being the slightest bit selfish that he deludes himself into believing his own emotions are being channeled by the Gods whenever he sees something that scares or angers him.... He doesn't even accept Kai's generosity, or understand why he's put up with him for so many years; only sees them as desperate cries for help whenever he returns from the city after a hard day's work...._

Hajime furrows his eyebrows in concern over the stress flowing from Yatto's spiritual being, and the situation he's struggling to find a solution to. Just as he was about to think of something encouraging he hears bus engine turn over, causing the foundation to tremble slightly. Both turn to see Ryuta sitting at the wheel with nothing more than acknowledgment towards their presence; pressing on the gas pedal as he drove through the forest in the direction of the city.

Hajime's furrowed eyebrows tighten at the fact that Ryuta had been within earshot of the bus, aware of how shaken up he still is from the blood-splattering ordeal he saw earlier. Now he must think he's schizophrenic, talking to someone only he knew existed while everyone else just sees thin air; and is starting to have second thoughts about including him in the squad.

A couple hours after reaching the city, Ryuta suddenly turns away from the direction of the Tanaka residence, heading off in another part of town. Both living and spirit frown in confusion as they look to each other, then back to the driver.

"W...what're you doing, Ippongi-san?" Hajime mutters nervously.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Ryuta said, not taking his focus off the all but void streets of the town he drove down, "Even at this time of night we have to respond to someone in distress."

Hajime frowns in confusion as Ryuta spoke up again, "And you can drop the formalities. I've been called by my last name so many times I'm beginning to miss being improperly addressed."

Both living and dead look to each other again in worry as the bus stops in front of a moderate, 2flr house on the western side of Tokyo. A broken down motorbike leans against the walls surrounding most of the house except for the front door.

Ryuta cuts the engine and heads out to the front of the bus where Saito and Suzuki stand, bowing sharply to his presence before moving behind him and waiting for his first command; an indication of his position as leader of this particular performance.

Music starts to play on the bus speakers, more lighthearted and soft compared to the music Hajime heard the other day.

The remaining occupants on the bus look out the window beside them, seeing the trio performing to the music at a pace much slower and less enthusing than Kai's Fierce Cheering.

_Saigen naku tsuzuite iku  
__(Continuing on endlessly)  
__Konpeki na hitotsu no nami ni notte  
__(I travel on a single azure wave)  
__Souzou wa fukurande iku  
__(My imagination flourishes)  
__Kankyou no henka wo nikundemo hakanai  
__(The changes in the surroundings are too fleeting to hate)_

Nothing happens within the house the Bold Squad is cheering to. The occupant inside, Ryoko Ishida, continues to sit at the table, distraught over the news of her husband dying in a motorcycle accident shortly after their heated argument, and not feeling any better to want to move on.

_Arayura kaigan wo  
__(You have traveled)_

Hajime and Yatto look to each other in confusion before glancing over to the Bold Squad, wondering what they were trying to do. Their standing in front of the house, but their needs are not with Ryoko, it was with someone else.

_Aruite kita anata no mune ni  
__(On each and every coast)_

After trying to figure out who that person was, a ghostly figure of Tetsu suddenly appears near the bike that was recovered from the accident. Both onlookers blink in shock upon realizing it was him the Bold Squad were encouraging; Yatto more horrified than Hajime.

Tetsu stares at his motorbike a while before holding his hand towards it and using his possessing powers to jolt it to life.

_Nani ga dekiru darou  
__(How can I reach your heart?)_

The sound of the motorbike starting grabs Ryoko's attention as she wanders to the window and peaks outside to see the light flicker on, shining a heart-shaped spotlight along the cold, dark pavement.

_Aitai toki ni aenai  
__(I can't see you when I want to)_

"Tetsu-san...it's like he's encouraging me...." Ryoko mutters in curiosity. Both Yatto and Hajime watch her reaction to the possessed motorbike before snapping their heads back to the Bold Squad, seeing them preparing for another encouraging performance.

_Nan ni mo iranai  
__(I don't need anything)  
Anata ni furetai  
__(I want to touch you)  
__Machi de surechigau kaze ga mune ni shimiru  
__(The wind passes me in the city pierces my heart)_

Both onlookers focus on the Bold Squad, particularly Ryuta, as they try to make sense of their response to the situation before them. Unlike the other members of the squad they've met so far, the leader seems to know more than just the basics of reading spirits; like he was practically born with the ability.

_Omoidasu tabi shinpai shite mitari  
__(Whenever I remember, I try caring)  
__Namida ga hitotsubu  
__(A single tear falls)  
__Dakedo anata ni wa todokanai  
__(But it won't reach you)_

Curious if Tetsu is close by, Ryoko pours two cups of tea and heads back to the wooden table, placing one adjacent to each other as she sits down and stares at the empty chair in front of her, waiting to see what happens next.

_Ki ga tsukoba mata koko ni iru  
__(When I come to I'm here again)_

Using his ghost powers again, Tetsu manages to knock the cup over, spilling all its contents on the center table, mysteriously molding into a heart to try and further prove his love for Ryoko.

_Hajimari no basho nukumori no koe  
__(Where it all began, a voice of warmth)_

The further the Bold Squad performs, the more it becomes apparent how much the lead performer really knows about the way the world turns. And the rest of the squad are just following alongside him like they understood and accept what he sees on a daily basis; as if he was the one making the rules instead of Kai, who knowingly has more authority over the squad.

After a while, Ryoko sits in front of her laptop to do some work, mentally hoping for another message from Tetsu.

As if granting the wish, Tetsu performs another ghost spell, causing the keys to clack like crazy while typing up a sentence in Japanese.

"Ryoko," it said, "I'm sorry about earlier."

"Tetsu, are you coming back?" Ryoko wonders.

_Omotte ita yori amaku wa nai mitai  
__(It seems harder then I thought)  
__Isso ima goto tobbara te kite hoshii  
__(I'd rather you break through and come to me now)_

Bewildered by what's been going on lately since Tetsu's death, Ryoko continues to sit at the table, trying to figure out whether he really has returned, and was trying to send apologetic messages to her.

_Sora de utaenai kotori no koe mitai  
__(Like the voice of a small bird that can't sing in the sky)_

As if answering her question, once again, Tetsu's motorbike reeves up, tempting her to look towards the noise once again.

_Konna ni kurushii dakedo anata ja nakya....  
__(It's so painful, but without you....)_

"Tetsu-san," Ryoko mutters in more bewilderment, "It's like he's...but it can't be...."

_Tonde yukitai ima sugu aitai  
__(I want to fly, I want to see you now)  
__Jibun no mimi de ai shiteru-tte kikitai no  
__(I want to hear you say "I love you", with my own ears)  
__Shinjite itai mamotte itai  
__(I want to believe, I want to protect you)  
__Tsunagatte itai....  
__(I want to be one with you....)_

In an attempt to clear her head of the thoughts trying to convince her Tetsu was nearby, Ryoko heads to the bathroom and turns the tap on, filling the sink with water.

As she gathers a handful and splashes it onto her face, she feels a sense that someone is watching her. Looking to the mirror, she sees a ghostly image of Tetsu standing behind her, and shockingly turns to face him.

"Tetsu-san!" she calls out.

_I L-O-V-E Y-O-U_ he echoes softly.

"You came back to tell me this, didn't you?" Ryoko sobs before the two embrace for what may be their final encounter together.

* * *

After giving their final parting of ways for the night, Ryuta heads back to the bus, pushing the folding doors open with a scrapping noise that startled the two spectators into turning around to face him. He gives them a quick glance before taking a seat at the steering wheel and starting up the engine.

"I'll drop you off back at your house for the night," he said as he starts driving down the street in the direction of Hajime's house, "If you want to stay in this squad, be back in the forest by tomorrow afternoon; otherwise, we'll think you've changed your mind."

_You...you knew...._ Yatto mutters horrifically, _You knew I was with him the entire time.... That's why you stopped at that residence before taking him home...._

"Ghost whispering is a hard ability to comprehend when reading the flow of spirits," Ryuta began, "People think they can see ghosts on a whim, but it takes more than simple concentration to be able to know where they are and see their presence."

Yatto furrows his eyebrows in hesitation as he collapses back on the front seat,_ Then it's over...! Now that Kai knows I've been watching over him the entire time, it'll only be a matter of time before the old man starts to suspect the sudden boost of confidence and march into the city to 'cast the ultimate punishment' on anyone who so much as speak about encouragement...._

"That would only happen if I expressed any notion that I encountered you," Ryuta said, "To ghost whisper through spirit reading involves knowing the person and understanding the emotions that harbor their being. And since I had Kai at claiming Yin was too frail and naïve to break away from his own nightmares, it's both a blessing and turmoil he won't be becoming aware of your presence anytime soon."

Yatto's furrowed eyebrows tighten as he looks down at his fists pressed against his knees; confused at what he should be doing at this point. He wants to save his brother from being used as a tool to boost Yin's crusade to "cast the true act of the Gods" upon the world; but knows that rushing it will not only put Hajime and the willing newcomers of Vermillion Village in danger, but also the spirits he misinterprets as evil demons that were responsible for corrupting the world into believing they were living a life of peace and happiness. He would have to decide his actions soon before he loses the only chance he has of breaking Kai away from the nightmare he's struggles to purify with his kind, loving spirit.

* * *

_"Please try to understand...." Yatto mutters, "The village never wanted to cause any misunderstanding to the people living outside the forest. They felt it's the only way to decipher potential candidates from those who would cause them harm."_

_Hajime looks out the window of the Shinto-shrine-like house, observing many different spirits ranging from friendly Tankui to tantalizing Oni wander around the late afternoon streets of the village, some conversing with the human villagers while others helped with the pick up and repair of what little areas were still damaged._

_All humans wore the same, dark vermillion robes draped over his Ouendan outfit; made of fleece, with lighter colored, vermillion trimmings on the sleeves, button area, and bottom, velvet, and phoenix-wing-shaped capes draped around their shoulders, partially covering their arms while dangling a few feet off the ground, over a variety of traditional and modern clothing._

_Yatto watches him, seeming to sense a high blaze of curiosity burning around him, before placing a tray with two mugs of tea on the table, "This village used to welcome outsiders with open arms and offered to share their knowledge and culture with them; believing it would help the world better understand the spiritual nature of the world. But their belief backfired when one outsider showed up and used one of their most sacred elements to wipe them to near extinction."_

_He flops onto the cushion below him, his right knee bent upward while his left lay tucked below it, "Even with their spiritual senses, they couldn't figure out what to do with him. His heart is full of confusion and fright caused by traumatic events in his past; yet his mind is full of hatred just looking at the presence of spirits folklore depicted as evil demons. They want to help him, yet are afraid that merely confronting him will provoke him to attack them in an act of self-proclaimed righteousness." _

_He scrunches his toes, his right clutching pieces of the red, velvet fabric covering the cushion, "And it only got worse when he stumbled upon a game of Shogi between a Fire Bird he thought was the Great Suzaku descending from the Sun to cleanse the village of the evil infecting the minds of his loyal followers, and the village elder he thinks is a demon in disguise. It took one misunderstanding to throw his fluxing emotions into one burst of blind rage; knocking over a nearby torch into the elder's kitchen and causing an explosion that spread throughout the village, killing those who were still inside while chasing others straight into the forest in fear. The survivors were so fearful of another deranged hermit wandering into their village and finishing the job they resorted to mobbing and taking in outsiders that wander into their mist, only passing down their knowledge and culture to those who remained calm throughout the journey and incubation."_

_He picks up one of the mugs, staring at the transparency of the brew where the tealeaves sit at the bottom, "The mixture of egg white and cremated ashes of the village robes were originally used to calm their children during the first year of their lives, using their tranquility to form the robe you're wearing right now. But after the attack, they began using the mixture on anyone who walks through the mist, mobbing them with enough trauma and movie-type horror to make them scramble their story when telling it to their family, friends, or the authorities."_

_He takes a sip of the tea before lowering it and looking towards Hajime, "You're one of the calmest people the villagers ever picked up. Not only did you fall asleep throughout incubation, the metamorphous into the robe you're wearing occurred a lot quicker than the few who willingly allowed themselves to be mobbed and dragged back to the village. Even then they were wide awake and weary of the calming sensation, prolonging the metamorphous until they eventually calmed down and accepted it."_

_Hajime turns to look towards Yatto, "So how come you aren't wearing the same robes as them? You seem to know as much about this village as they do." Yatto's furrowed eyebrows tighten before he stood up and unbuttoned his gakuran coat, pulling it open to reveal a rectangular-shaped hole in his central body. Hajime's eyes widen in shock as he backed away from him until his back hit the wall._

_Yatto compresses his lips as he closed and buttoned his coat, still staring at the rectangular-shaped hole in his central body, "Even though this village has a mystic ability to solidify ghosts, it lacks the capabilities to seal the wounds that caused their deaths. Besides, even if my body was whole, the trauma I suffered after I was killed would rot the mixture the very second I stick my toe in it."_

_Hajime calms down as Yatto sits back on the cushion, picking up the mug and sipping it, "But the villagers did offer me an alternative to getting rid of this problem as well as some added extras; the Wings of Suzaku. Unfortunately the misunderstanding that led to the hermit's blind act of justice also led him to believe the village elder had already succeeded in tearing the prized Wings straight off of Suzaku's shoulders, and is now plotting to use them to rid the world of everything he considers evil and bring about what he thinks is the only vision of peace where the Gods control every decision we make."_

_"What's so bad about that?" Hajime asked as he took a seat on the cushion adjacent to where Yatto sat, picking up the untouched mug of tea, "He wants to bring peace to a world riddled with anxiety and warfare. Why stop him from doing more than help out with this problem?"_

_"His vision of peace involves more than ridding warfare and turmoil; he wants to get rid of everything that makes humans independent, including nationality, religion, and hope. He sees them all as humankind's foolish attempts to disband their loyalty to the original Gods, and thinks he's the last human being in existence who can draw everyone back to accepting them as the only answer to peace and unity."_

_Hajime's eyes widen in shock upon hearing the outcome of that fate. A world brought together only to be force to serve the visions of a God that only exists in the mind of one man? Even if this is a rendition of Noah's Ark, the thought of surrendering his very intelligence for the sake of escaping the wrath of God was something he wasn't willing to get into. He frets what could happen if the Wings aren't apprehended before this hermit manages to throw them on. _


	8. Episode 8: Breaking Through the Heart

Episode 8: Breaking Through the Heart of Solitude

Yin saunters out of the backyard of the dojo early the next morning, holding a sack of bird seeds drenched in cooking oil as an offering to the Children of Suzaku to once again try to gain their trust.

Ever since the demon village cleaved their proud father of his Wings, they have not made much of an appearance, even to accept the offerings from his generous hand and hear what he has to say. But Yin didn't have to investigate the manner; he knew the children were scared because humankind has used the Gods love of testing their knowledge to steal their trinkets and use them to corrupt others into accepting their Gods and religions.

As he slides the door shut and prepares to descend the steps of the porch, Yin is confronted by Hajime standing in the middle of the open field, holding a rather large bento in his hands and baring a concerned expression on his adolescent face.

His initial reaction was to tense up at the very presence of the boy, terrified of what he would do after the event that occurred yesterday that caused Kai to turn into such a savage monster against his docile little brother. Hajime just stared at him a while before dropping the bento beside him and collapsing to a bow so close to the ground he could almost taste the morning dew sitting on what little patch of grass surrounds the open fields. This didn't ease Yin's tension as he thrusts the foot of his flagpole towards the surrendering boy.

"What is your intention of this presence?" he demands, rather calmly, "Have you returned to curse my men with your corruptness?"

"No," Hajime mutters, not lifting his head to address the elder, "I wanted to apologize for that fiasco yesterday. I was just wandering through the forest on my way back to the city when I accidentally ran into your brother and scared him into attacking me. I didn't mean for it to escalate this far."

Yin just stares at him, at first appearing to not buy a word Hajime said, before marching over to him and using the flagpole to flip him over, leaving him propped on his elbows as he reaches into his uwagi, pulls out a necklace laced with wooden beads, and tosses them onto his chest. Hajime stares at them before picking them up.

"Spirit beads?" he mutters in confusion.

"Your very presence has corrupted the only follower I could trust to bring peace to this world," Yin said, his frown tightening, "But the Gods have chosen to spare you on the condition that you remain confined to these beads to protect the rest of this world from your corruptive aura."

He then marches past Hajime, leaving him to watch him leave before grabbing the bento and staggering to his feet; observing the spirit beads some more. They never really worked in warding or containing spirits, just throws up some kind of divine barrier to keep them from touching him. Luckily Yatto is too nervous about what happened last night to make an appearance, so he'll have to put up with it until he gets back home.

Sighing, he throws the beads on and heads off into the forest, hoping to find Kai and hand him the large bento he made as an apology for leaving him to take the brunt of the blame. Though he knew the hefty Ouendan could manage on an average-size bento, he wanted to be sure his message gets through to him so he doesn't get agitated when he shows up at Ryuta's squad to find him hanging out there.

Not two feet from the open fields of the backyard he hears the sound of girls giggling, and turns to see the Cheer Girls walking towards him, Aoi skipping for joy while Sayaka and Anna walk neutrally, with Saito and Suzuki trailing behind them. All familiar parties were carrying wooden buckets full of bath materials, seeming to suggest they were heading off to an open door hot spring somewhere deep in the forest.

Upon encountering Hajime just standing in their way, the girls stare at him, then each other a few minutes before crowding around him, poking and pinching his muscles while rubbing their chins.

"This is Kai-kun's admirer?" Aoi hums, "I expected him to be a lot more beefy and wild."

Sayaka elbows Aoi, causing her to squeak and she rubs the bruise on her arm, before turning her attention to Hajime, "We heard about how Doumeki-san inspired you to want to join this squad."

Hajime muffles a sigh as he eyes away from the group, "To help bring encouragement to the world...or to cling to him and banter like a three-year-old who loves his hero too much...?"

"Doumeki-sama is too busy dealing with the situation the Taijitu brothers are in to fully understand the reliability of Spirit Reading," Suzuki points out, "When he senses something in a person that thoroughly irritates him, a single emotion he considers selfish and uncaring, no matter where it is in the personality hierarchy, he will see it as a staple of the person's attitude and act like he will never reform from it."

"That explains his quick judgment...." Hajime mutters, "And I've been doing nothing but prove his presumption...first by bothering him about wanting to join...then exposing my fear of blood right in front of him...and finally running off while he took the blame for attacking that old man's malicious little brother...."

"Aw, don't let his temper tantrums scare you into leaving!" Aoi protests, "It's nice to have someone who can actually flex his time to hang out with us!"

She then throws a pair of black knee-high swimming trunks on top of the bento in Hajime's hands. The sides and cuffs are bordered by a red line with the familiar symbol of Ouendan stitched onto the lower left corner of the left cuff.

The newcomer picks it up and stares at it in confusion, "What's this?"

"What, you don't swim?" Aoi asks curiously, gaining another confused stare from Hajime, "In case you don't have the ability to sense it, we're heading down to the hot springs for a relaxing bath."

Hajime exasperates, "W-wait, that's it!? No roughhousing!? No snide remarks about how you wound up with a scrawny schoolboy instead of some Japanese Rambo-wannabe!?"

"Kai-kun can chase you around and complain all he wants," Anna chuckles, "As for us, we're just fine having someone who can throw a few punches to push people in the right direction."

Hajime furrows his eyebrows in confusion at their unusual kindness. The way Ryuta and Kai had treated him, he expected the rest of the squad to bully him until bored, then continue on their way while laughing at whatever embarrassed disposition they left him in. They weren't even giving off any hidden vibes that they were acting this way just to tug at his naivety and make him believe something only they knew was a lie.

"I understand you have gone through a rough introduction the other day," Suzuki says, seeming to sense Hajime's confusion, "But you must also understand that while Doumeki-sama sees anyone who possesses irritating emotions as narrow-minded lemmings, he is still a well-mannered man. He just spends too much time trying to rehabilitate the Taijitu brothers to better understand the qualities of reading spirits. To him, every second he wastes on something unimportant is another drop in their confidence in the way they see the world."

Hajime furrows his eyebrows a bit as Suzuki's frown tightens in frustration, "He especially worries about Yin. He's dropped so far into his own nightmare since the old leader's death that he thinks the Gods have turned to him for aide from the corruptness of Hope; leading Doumeki-sama to believe if he shows him the love and care the original goal brings to both man and god, he would calm down and accept their harmonious embrace."

"But...then why aren't you doing the same?" Hajime asked, "If you really are trying to show sen—Kai—how much you care about the situation the brothers are on, why continue to sit in the background and watch him fall even farther into their spiraling deathtrap?"

"We already tried," Suzuki said, "But Yin never accepted, calling us God Slayers and demanding we stop telling the world to accept the corruptness of Hope as their only guidance to peace. Even when he saw how repulsive Yin was at our generous hands, Doumeki-sama thinks we aren't trying hard enough to express our love and began treating us like instruments, only showing up to do his business, then leave when he senses he is no longer needed. Ryuta has already declared that Yin is too corrupt by loyalty and obedience to fall behind anyone but his brother, the leader, or the Gods haunting his nightmares; but if Doumeki-sama continues to believe that Yin can still be reformed, our only option is to try harder to figure out what we need to do in order to gain his trust and help him understand the positivity of living in this harmonious world."

Hajime compresses his lips at the larger flood of information being crammed into his brain concerning the situation both squads are currently in. Everyone appears to be unsure of what they should be doing; whether they should side with Ryuta and just leave Yin to spiral into depression, or try to better understand the severity of his traumatic life. The only thing keeping him from falling into their state of confusion is the key information that if Yin succeeds in putting on the Wings, both sides were going to be more than screwed over by his brazen attempt at divine intervention. He can only hope that Yatto can get to the trunk in time to open it and get the Wings out before Yin comes back from his daily ritual.

* * *

Kai stood on the docks sticking three feet over a large lake a couple miles from the dojo, arms crossed, as he gazes at the sun rising over the heads of the trees surrounding the area. He once again wore the old cheerleader uniform; his hat absent, exposing a full head of spiky hair that stood tall and waved like fire in the morning breeze.

Hajime pokes his head out from behind one of the trees, observing Kai while clutching the large bento in his hands. He started to have second thoughts about confronting him to give him something he otherwise wouldn't accept. Afterall, he didn't want anything to do with him and giving him his space until Yin's death would be a more suitable act of apology than getting in his way again and wasting his time with the delivery.

But his parents have been hard on him about what constitutes a proper act of apology; just keeping his distance would be more rude than just confronting him, apologizing, and walking away when he's sensed that the person has accepted it. Also, he felt confident that no matter how harsh Kai is at "drilling in the message", the rest of the squad would still accept him with or without his acknowledgment.

Heaving a confident sigh, he walks up behind Kai and places the bento on the first plank of the dock, obviously gaining no response from the landscape-gazer, clutches his trunks in his right hand, and prepares to head off in the direction of the hot springs the rest of the squad are rendezvousing in.

"The Phoenix Pond is currently being occupied," Kai says abruptly, causing Hajime to stop in his tracks and snap his head towards him, "And don't even bother heading over there to ask for an invite, because you won't get one."

Hajime muffles nervous laugh as he scratches the back of his head, "Invite...yeah...well they already gave me one when I ran into them back in the forest...."

Kai's eyes snap towards Hajime as he instinctively twists the swim trunks, trying hard not to express his nervousness, "They told me what you've been going through in the past and invited me to join them at the pond for a relaxing swim. Despite what I originally thought when you wouldn't let me near them, they were...actually quite friendly...."

Kai's irritation grows to the point of his entire body trembling while his lips curl to expose his large teeth. The squad must have gouged at Hajime's naivety to make him pay any attention to them and believe whatever claims will stick him to his side like glue, sending more cracks into his credibility towards those who have relied on him for years while they sit in the background and laughed at his frustration at failing to get rid of a scrawny city boy.

Hajime literally saw transparent, blood-red fire burst around Kai as his heart raced with fright from staring at it. Not wanting to stick around and see just how angry the large Ouendan was, he casually turns around to head in the direction of the Phoenix Pond only to feel a large hand grab the back of his collar and yank him clear off the ground with enough velocity to make him drop his swimming trunks.

"You wanna take a relaxing swim!?" Kai shouts as he hauled Hajime over his head, grabbing the back of his belt hidden under his long tailed coat, "Why not do it here!?" With that, he arches back and throws the panicking newcomer halfway across the lake until he slowed enough for gravity to take hold and pull him into the cold, murky water.

A second after the spike melts back into the lake, Hajime shoots through the surface, flapping his arms about in a fit of panic and confusion before regaining enough senses to straighten his body upward, swinging his arms back and forth while kicking his legs past each other. He takes a moment to cough the water out of his lungs before snapping his head towards Kai, literally shaken by the ordeal.

"Wh-what was that for!?" he hacked.

"I hope you're all happy!" Kai exclaims, shooting a glare towards where the Phoenix Pond is located, "I hope you all die laughing at your success of encouraging this brat to continue clinging to me and showing the world just how useless I am compared to your so-called 'proud, heroic leaders'!"

"But I wasn't trying to be a nuisance!" Hajime retorts, "I've been trying to stay out of your way after Ryuta told me why you abandoned me the other night, but-!"

Kai turns sharply towards Hajime, showing his full-on aggression, "You've been a nuisance ever since you followed me back here, begged me to let you join, and then dodged everything I threw at you will misinterpreting it as a challenge to stick by my side! You didn't even bother considering what the rest of the squad thinks about having such a scrawny, naïve brat mucking up their reputation and appearance; brushing them off as nothing more than props helping me keep this world from falling into mass hysteria and depression!"

Hajime blinks in shock before frowning in offense, "That's because I only seen two members of the squad! If you'd just let me get to know the rest of them instead of dragging me out into that training field and pelting me to death with boards, I wouldn't think you were the only leader that could help me fit into the squad!"

"I didn't want you going anywhere near that bias excuse for a squad in the first place! Those know-nothing fools never understood what it takes to actually understand and care about someone who needs their help! They only want their squad to be known for saving people from danger, and wouldn't want to waste their time helping some blockheaded city boy fit in with them, especially when the only reason he joined is to cling to me and beg for my attention!"

Hajime furrows his eyebrows in bewilderment upon hearing Kai's brash assumption of the other members of the squad, "They knew you wouldn't even pass for a cheerleader the moment they saw you and heard about what made you want to join! But rather than drill it into your head and send you crying back to the city where you belong, they thought it would be more hilarious to embarrass me in front of the world by convincing you to continue coming after me while claiming everything I throw at you is a challenge to gain my sole attention!"

Overwhelmed by Kai's brash opinions on how the squad perceived him and their definition of heroism, and the frustration of figuring out how he can maintain his continuance without eventually becoming a thorn in their side, Hajime neglects his treading, causing him to slowly sink into the murky surface of the lake while squeezing his eyes shut; which misled the Fierce Chief into thinking he had just crushed his belief in the kindness of the other members of Ryuta's squad.

"They never wanted to be your friend or help you fit into this squad! They only kept you so they can dangle you over my head and shatter the credibility of those who had come to rely on me for comfort! So if you're done crying over the realization that no one wants you around, then get the hell out of my face and away from that squad!"

Hajime stops sinking just as the water touched the bottom of his bandana, scissor kicking hard enough to bring his eyes above the surface, barely managing to see Kai turn sharply to leave.

The severity of the time he spent with the Taijitu brothers is clearly starting to take its toll on his sociability towards the rest of the world. Not only was he determined to believe that Yin is the most helpless of the brothers, he was determined to prove that he is the only member of Ryuta's squad that actually cares for more than just people in danger; calling the rest of the squad irresponsible and unstructured; only responding to the distress if it involved a shred of danger thrown into the problem.

Hajime gargles a frustrated growl before swinging his arms enough to bring his mouth out of the water.

"You know how much you're starting to act like those old men," he mutters strenuously from the pressure of the water surrounding his throat, "Always looking for an excuse to prove your point rather than take the time to investigate everything you see and hear?"

Kai screeches to a halt and snaps his head over to Hajime, a sense of bewilderment sparking in his otherwise overly agitated spirit, "You have everything to help you figure out the entire making of a human being, and yet you still judge them by their attitude, claiming they only changed it just to rile you up while shattering the trusts of everyone you responded to over the years. Pretty soon you'll think the entire world exists to torment you with annoyance, and use everything those brothers taught you to destroy everything that gets on your nerves; including them and the Gods that drove them into the state they're in today."

Kai's aggravated glare increases, about to speak back when a godly roar throws more kindle in the already burning fury.

"_**HOW DARE YOU CLAIM THIS WEAKLING POSSESSES THE POWER TO DESTROY ME!?**_"

Before Kai could turn to address the godly irate voice, a hand, twice the size of his face, grabs his throat and hauls him into the air while turning him to face the twisted wrath of Dancho, teeth bared so wide it almost crushed his eyes out of view.

"_**HE IS NOTHING BUT A WASTE OF POWER THE GODS STAMPED INTO THIS WRETCHED WORLD BEFORE I CAME ALONG AND CRUSHED THEM WITH A SINGLE STOMP OF MY FOOT!!!**_"

Kai's grit teeth widen as he grabs Dancho's wrist and struggles to pull himself free, "_**BUT ONCE I GAIN OWNERSHIP OF THIS SQUAD, I WILL USE ITS POWER TO WIPE AWAY THE STENCH OF WEAKNESS, AND CREATE AN ERA WHERE PEACE WILL BE PROTECTED BY THE STRONG AND POWERFUL!!!**_"

Hajime stares at the large monster man, his blood-red spirit literally burning the entire field surrounding the lake; the sense of dread singed his heart so badly he could hardly tread water without his muscles trembling with each swing. He didn't want to get close to Dancho, knowing how powerful he was during their last encounter, but seeing how helpless Kai was just dangling by the crushing grip of his abnormally large hand he couldn't just float by and do nothing.

Frowning in frustration, he pushes his body forward, attempting an over arm swim stroke only to feel his sleeves snag on his shoulder and elbows, causing him to nearly sink up to his nose. Gurgling, he swung his arms and legs around to stay afloat on his stomach while pulling his head back, coughing and snorting water out of his mouth and nose.

Swimming isn't one of his strongest aspects as he only swam more for fun than survival; and with less clothing than what he had on when Kai threw him into the lake. Hajime would've been tempted to throw his coat off just to give him some room to move his arms above water, but the uniform was expensive enough as a rental, not to mention his father sacrificed an arm and a leg just to make it a permanent addition to his line-up of clothes. Just ditching the coat to save himself would've guaranteed one massive burst of spiritual rage once his parents got back from their business trip.

Determined to get to Kai before Dancho's massive grip crushes his head clean off his shoulders, Hajime stretches his arms out one at a time and swings downward, pulling him towards the docks at nearly the same speed as a front crawler.

Dancho whips around to the forest with enough velocity to jerk what little air Kai could gasp out of his slowly crushing jugular, "_**HERE WILL BE THE FINAL PLACE WHERE I CRUSH THE LAST OF THE WEAKLINGS CREATED BY THE FEEBLE MINDS OF THE GODS!!! FOREVER RIDDING THE WORLD OF THEIR STENCH AND PROVING, ONCE AND FOR ALL, THAT I AM THE ONE TRUE RULER OF THE UNIVERSE!!!**_"

He moves his foot towards Kai's central body, about to thrust it in when he felt his rooted foot jolt towards the edge of the docks, almost stripping him of his balance. Startled, he flings his captive onto the embankment in an instinctive attempt to stop himself from face-planting onto the slowly crippling dock.

"You, ruler of the universe?" pants a voice near the edge of the docks, "I find that hard to believe when you go around the forest, destroying everything that so much as brushes by you while claiming they were trying to steal away your authority!"

Kai scrambles to a kneeling position, grabbing his near bruising throat while wheezing in pain, as he looks towards the source of the voice to see a sopping wet Hajime practically hugging Dancho's remaining ankle while the lower half of his body dangles over the docks like an anchor.

His eyes widen in shock; the only person he's known who could outmaneuver the monster man's moves is Ryuta. Anyone else who managed to survive his explosively violent temper, especially common city folk, would be running scared at the very presence of his shadow.

Dancho's eyes nearly bulge with rage as he slams his raised foot on the docks and throws his grappled leg out with enough force to rip Hajime out of the water and halfway down to the end of the docks, landing with a painfully loud thud on his back.

"_**MAGGOT!!!**_" he roars loud enough to cover nearly a half mile radius of the forest surrounding the lake, "_**YOU ARE NOTHING BUT WEAK FILTH RUINING THE TRUE VISION OF THIS WORLD AND DRIVING AWAY THE PEACE IT DESERVES!!!**_"

"You say that so many times it's more pitiful than annoying," Hajime grunts while struggling to sit up, "Calling yourself the supreme ruler of the universe just because you crushed some Gods in your dreams, and vowing to crush anyone that challenges you for possession of their powers. But all you are is a scared old man who thinks even the harmless cherry blossoms want to kill you for control of the world."

Dancho's eyes are now so wide with enragement they looked like they were about to pop out, bellowing a roar that adds another diameter of echoes trailing throughout the forests surrounding the lake, as he raises his iron geta and thrusts it into Hajime's central body, causing him to gag painfully while curling inward from the impact.

Three seconds pass before he uncoils into a limp, rug-like position, eyes wide and staring straight into the partly cloudy sky. Kai stares at the agonized expression as the sound of wheezing gasps escaped Hajime's gaping mouth; his eyes widen in more horror when his bandana suddenly vanishes and a three-strapped eyepatch strings over his left eye. The wheezing gasps slowly fade into echoing gurgles which slowly soften to death along with the color of his remaining eye and skin.

Dancho snaps his enraged eyes over to Kai, seeing his skin pale to white while his body trembles in distraught over the sight of another traumatic scene.

"_**DO YOU SEE NOW, GODS!?!?**_" he roars, turning to face the traumatized Ouendan, "_**THE DISGUST THAT IS POURING OUT OF ANOTHER ONE OF YOUR FAILURES!?!? SICKENING!!! I WILL SEE TO THAT-!!!**_" he takes his foot out of Hajime only to find that his body remains whole. Horrified, he snaps his head down to the geta attached to it to find the legs crammed into the large bento, seafood and vegetables splattered along the rest of the sandal.

"_**WHAT!?!?**_" he bellows while trying to shake the box off his geta, "_**WHO DARES CURSE ME WITH THIS MESS!?!?**_"

The bright, late morning sun obscures Kai's vision as a shadow, that slowly took on a presence he shockingly recognized, soars through the sky towards Dancho with his knee thrusting out like a blunt sword.

By the time Dancho realized the shadow casting over him and turned to see where it was coming from, the knee slams into his mid-section with enough force to knock a gust of wind out of his lungs. Without waiting for him to stumble back and grab what could be the first world of pain laid upon him, the shadow throws the foot attached to the knee towards his face, smashing a visible bruise on his chin while sending him flying across the dock and landing into the lake a few feet from its edge.

Kai's wide eyes quiver in disbelief as the shadow lands on the spot Dancho once stood on. The sun left an obscuring afterimage on his eyes when he followed the shadow's movement to ground zero, but the move was too flawless to be an impersonator.

He hastily shuts his eyes and rubs the obscurity out of his vision, opening them again to find Hajime in the spot the person he was expecting was supposed to be, collapsed on his hands and knees while struggling to breathe through his bruised lungs. Upon sensing Kai's gaze fixed on him, he musters the energy to push himself to a sitting position on his knees.

"Are...are you okay...?" he mutters between breaths. Kai blinks in utter shock before scrunching into aggravation as he pulls his fist back and slams it hard onto his head, planting his chin halfway into the mud.

"Do I look okay to you!?" he nearly roars in anger as Hajime pulls his chin out and scraps the particles clinging to it.

Suddenly, a humongous splash explodes over the edge of the docks, grabbing their attention as they snap their heads over to it to see Dancho peek through the white foam sitting on top of each wave. But what he expressed upon showing his face shocked them both in a befuddling way; an expression of fear the likes of which no human on the planet lived long enough to see.

Dancho claws at the edge of the docks only to miss reaching it by mere inches, his horrid eyes widening when gravity took hold of his monstrous body and pulls him below the surface, leaving a hill of bubbles in his place.

Both Kai and Hajime stare at the unusual scene before snapping their glances towards each other, too bewildered to decide whether they should help him or just leave him there until he soulfully begged them to dive in and rescue him.

Just as suddenly as Dancho's one-time show of fear reached their eyes, an earth-shattering crack knocks them away from each other. A shockwave tore through the ground between them, slicing the docks in half while creating a water parting path across the lake nearly 2ft wide.

Before either could figure out where it came from, Yin marches past their viewpoint, his frown tight enough to raise his eyebrows to that of a Chinese Dragon, entering the pathway he created and emerging seconds later with a drowned Dancho dragged behind him by the back of his uwagi.

He stops between Kai and Hajime while slamming his younger brother on the muddy embankment with enough force to gush the water he inhaled out of his seemingly enormous lungs.

"Are you satisfied now, Doumeki Kai," Yin seethed as he turns to face his chosen listener, his eyes expressing more rage than his aging body, "Casting your blind punishment unto my little brother in the very place where you claimed it all happened?"

"It was his fault!" Hajime blurts out, staggering to his feet, "He was going to trample us for-!" Yin whips around and slashes the foot of his flagpole across his chest, tearing a hole into his soaked gakuran coat and knocking him onto his back.

"The Gods showed you mercy even though you were responsible for terrifying my little brother the other day," Yin said, surprisingly calm given the wrath expressed on his face, "And for that, you will pledge your loyalty to them and swear never to betray their righteous judgment!"

"The Gods didn't have a hand in deciding whether I should survive with a broken nose," Hajime grunts while struggling to sit up, "You were the one who chose to let me go, and claimed it was their idea to 'spare' me for acting in self-defense when your brother nearly trampled over me without warning!"

Yin's brows tighten in more rage as he raises the foot of his flagpole towards Hajime's heart, "I shall let their divine wrath be the judge of your fate!"

Just as he prepares to send his flagpole towards Hajime a strong arm smacks it clear out of his hand, stabbing into the ground behind him. Yin looks towards it before snapping his glare to the source of the intrusion to see Kai plant himself between him and Hajime.

"You keep your brash disciplines off my kouhai!" he seethed defensively, gaining a befuddled blink from Hajime and an even more enraged glare from Yin.

"Kouhai...?" Hajime mutters.

"You dare choose to deflect the judgment casted by the Gods!?" Yin growls, his once calm voice slowly sinking into deep anger.

"Even the Gods wouldn't punish this boy for expressing his concern and admiration for me," Kai said as calm as possible, "Up until now, I didn't know what it was like to be inspired by someone I would normally be encouraging to fight for their goals. But this boy's tenacity had shown me that there is more to showing kindness to the world than just showing up and cheering them on!"

Yin's eyebrows rose to the point of creating spikes along the large locks of hair, "This squad cannot accept such loyalty meant to be bestowed upon the Gods we were tasked to protect and serve as they see fit! To accept such a divine privilege will express our disloyalty and selfishness to the Gods and convince them to cast the ultimate punishment on us all!"

Kai's frown tightens in bewilderment, "The old leader formed this squad to bridge the gap between all that exists and help them live together in peace and harmony. How can you say being admired is an act of selfishness towards everything we worked so hard to achieve to this world!?"

"You misunderstand the goal our old leader has set for us," Yin retorts as he reaches behind him and uproots his flag from the ground it landed on, "He has created this squad to rid the world of all that draws humankind away from the one true way of the Gods. They have shown him how humankind has corrupt this world by creating their own religion and Gods to sway others to accepting their path to salvation and peace. He swore to devote the rest of his life to expose their foolishness and bring them back to accepting the divine, infallible hands of their one and only ruler of the universe!"

He stabs the flagpole onto the ground in front of him, "They channeled all of their emotions into this flag to give him the power he needs to ensure their judgments are heard and carried out to all who continue to use their own feeble minds to destroy the true divinity the Gods have worked so hard to pave for this world. Now, in my hands, and with the aide of Suzaku on my shoulders, I will become a savior so grand and infallible all who witnessed my passage over their lands will know of my selfless act to bring peace to the world and call upon me to rid them of those who continue to defy the true way of the Gods!"

"So why don't you bow to the flag instead of treating it like some beating stick with a slab of Divine Intervention sprinkled on top?"

Yin snaps his head down to the voice to see Hajime stagger to his feet while grabbing the slashed hole on his coat barely hiding the mass amounts of bruises he suffered over the course of his stay near the dojo.

"A savior so great that even the Gods will worship you for bringing peace and unity to the world? That sounds nothing like what the old leader would do when given this divine task."

An explosion of unseen, spiritual fire erupts around Yin, glowing like molten rocks from the depths of a volcano, "I am the savior of the Gods; their messenger that will see to it that their wrath be heard and obeyed by all who have been poisoned by the evil of the sins. Where the old leader has fallen, I will continue on, ensuring that all who walk these lands will think nothing but the paths set for them by their divine, infallible minds."

"By holing yourself up in your little 'territory' and patronizing anyone that so much as walks into your view with their heads held high? They must be desperate if they had to pour all their blessings and faith into someone so isolated and terrified he even calls Shinto a devil's cult." Hajime grabs the beads around his neck, "If joining this future of peace means throwing away my independence and religion to follow some deranged old man hiding behind his own nightmares for guidance, then I'd rather let them cast their judgment and see just how merciful they really are!" He finishes by yanking the necklace against the side of his neck, causing every string surrounding it to snap off and send the beads flying in every direction.

Yin's eyes widen in sheer horror as he watches the beads rain down onto the muddy embankment, then shoots them towards Hajime, whose frown tightens in unwavering boldness that gave off a horrifying resemblance to the one person he didn't want to see near Kai.

"No...." he mutters in fear before frowning in godly fury, "I will not allow you to advance further unto this child!"

He charges at Hajime, swinging his flagpole down on him like a mighty hammer. Hajime panics and leaps out of the way, barely missing its foot by a few inches. Without waiting for the recoil to course through his body, Yin swings the flagpole like a golf club at Hajime, tearing another hole into the side of his coat and sending him flying into the darkness of the forest.

Kai's eyes widen in shock as he runs inside, finding him belly flat in a large circle of mud, trembling in dire pain while struggling to stand up. He steps out only to have his foot swallowed up by its quicksand-like weakness. Panicked, he pulls it back out before shooting another glance towards Hajime to find him crawling through the weaker areas of the mud, each move breaking apart the surface and pulling him deeper into the ground. Though his face twists in dire pain he hasn't once cried for help, thoroughly intent on proving he can take care of himself in even the most fatal of situations.

Fighting off Dancho was terrifying enough, but even he couldn't dominate a part of nature, whose only function is to put more pressure and weight over whichever victim blindly steps into its weakening mass. Kai reaches towards Hajime only to feel something hard and wooden slam against the front of his shoulders and shove him away from the bank of the mud pool. He stares at the flagpole blocking his shoulders, then follows it to see Yin at his side, the once molten-colored fire now a mixture of blue and black; an expression of fear self-induced by tramatized, uneducated thoughts plaguing his mind.

"Begone foul demon!" Yin preaches, glaring daggers into Hajime as the mud reaches his shoulders, "The Gods return you to the bowels of hell where you belong!"

"Demon!?" Kai nearly exclaims as he slaps the flagpole away from his shoulders, "You can't let this boy die because you think his admiration will turn me into a monster like your brother!"

"My brother no longer sees the Gods as inferior entities," Yin proclaims, "They have proven to him long ago that they have every right to control everything that exists in their creations, and has since helped me prepare for the day where I will ascend to their throne and help them recreate the world into an era where they are the only deciding factor to the future of all living kind."

Kai's frown tightens in disbelief over Yin's brash judgment on the things he sees and hears. He completely disregards everything Dancho has done since the day he was thrown into their care, and appears to be praising him for dispatching of someone he thinks is a threat to the Gods. Could Ryuta have been right all along? Could Yin be so far from good and evil that he would even consider those killed by Dancho an enemy of the Gods?

"S-Sen..._pai...._" mutters a weakening voice. Kai snaps his head back towards the mud to find Hajime a mere arm's length from the wall of the embankment, up to his chin and wheezing from the constriction of the mud wrapped around his neck, appearing to be seconds away from losing consciousness as he musters the strength to pull his right hand out towards the walls in a last ditch effort to pull himself out.

Exasperated, Kai drops down to his knees and grabs the hand just before it dropped back onto the weakened surface of the mud, about to pull on it when Yin inattentively slams the base of his flagpole square against his gut; channeling an unusually strong amount of shock into it that forced him to lose grip of the hand while sending a nauseating feeling that sucked the strength out of his body.

Kai muffles a few gags before tumbling to his side, watching half-consciously, and half-helplessly, as a bandana-worn forehead is all that remains of Hajime as he continues to be swallowed up by the near constricting mud.

He tries to stay focused, but the nausea refuses to wash away, eventually lulling him into an uncomfortable slumber before he could see the tails follow after the rest of the bandana.


	9. Episode 9: Dreaming of the Past

Author's Note: Sorry for not updating in a while, and for the sudden revision of the past few chapters. I've been having some minor problems with the plot and structure, and decided to go back and redo them for better understanding and (hopefully) not seem too heavy on the use of certain religious beliefs.

Episode 9: Dreaming of the Past

_"Why can't I see my brother!?" Kai exclaims frustratingly, "I wanna see my brother!" _

_He stands in the study room; containing shelves full of books on the wall adjacent to where he stood, while a row of large scrolls hung on the wall behind him, each bearing the Japanese kanji of nine virtues: righteousness; justice; loyalty; courtesy; serenity; faith; wisdom; obedience; piety._

_Sitting below the scroll of Serenity is a man, three times older than those Yatto and Kai have met in the city, standing a hefty 6'3", his balding hair reaching his back while his mustache and beard cover his chest, wearing the Rising Sun uniform that now shelters Yin's elderly body, and holds the flag like a bold, unnerving leader. Kai stands at his side, tugging on one of his sleeves with a devastated look on his face._

_"I cannot burden you with such a grotesque sight," the elder mutters in remorse as he reads a Buddhist tome in a vain attempt to distract himself from gazing into Kai's distraught, youthful expression, "You are much too young to be traumatized by what my brash pupil has dealt onto him."_

_"But if I don't let him know I'm okay, he'll think I'm dead and be too devastated to continue training for the Martial Arts Tournament!"_

_The elder sighs as he places his hand on Kai's head and rubs the black, bristly hair sticking out of it, "He knows you are alive, young one. But he is worried if he let you see what the doctors are doing to fix him up, you would be too traumatized to want to see him again. He has asked me to look after you until he recovers from his ordeal."_

_Kai jumps back and pumps his fists in excitement._

_"Really!? Alright! Until then, I'm gonna train under you and learn everything about cheering so that when he does return, I'll have the knowledge and courage to cheer him through every tournament he enters! We'll be able to buy a house away from the slums and never have to live in danger again!"_

_He then scampers towards the doorway, following the linear path of the hallway until he arrives in the wardrobe room at the far west end of the dojo, staring in awe at the shelves making up most of the walls; chalk full of old, samurai-like costumes, two white, each bearing red dots and black dots on the sleeves, and one black with a white dot in the same area. Below the closets separating the uniforms from each other are a pair of paper fans, each two the same color as their uniforms; they were most likely the masculine response to a cheerleader's pompom back in the early days of Japan._

_Unfortunately the only kid-size uniforms he can fit are the yin-yang-like uniforms; no white uniform with red dots. Kai squints his nose at the choices; he wants to wear something that expresses his admiration to the man who's going to teach him how to cheer for the world, but there wasn't a uniform of that size for him to wear._

_He focuses on the white uniform with the black dots, contemplating on sticking large, red stickers over the black dots to act as a somewhat representation of what the leader wore until he finds the time to craft the actual uwagi._

_Confident on this idea, Kai turns to search for those stickers when he smacks into the skinny knees of Yin, who calmly drops his glare down at him as if he was offended by his actions. The child stares up at him, a bit shaken by the frightening glare before sporting a cheery smile. _

_"Hey there, Oji-san!" he said, "You wouldn't happen to have any large, red stickers around, would you? I wanna put them on that white coat with the black dots so they look like the one the man who's gonna teach me how to cheer to the world wears!"_

_"The ones our leader wears?" Yin mutters, his body trembling in fright, "So I was right all along.... You are scheming to take us down and use our squad to throw the world into an era of vengeance!"_

_Kai cocks an eyebrow in confusion as Yin stops trembling and frowns unusually tight, "I cannot allow it to manifest to fruition.... He must be removed from this world in order to prevent such an era from reaching the corrupt minds of all who walk it!"_

_Kai's eyes twist into sheer terror as he backs towards the wall only to accidentally slip on a silk belt and fall towards the tatami mat. Out of instinct, he grabs one of the leader's white, red circled uwagi, tearing it off the wooden hanger as he manages to land flat on his rump._

_Yin's inner fury increases upon seeing Kai scramble to get out of the uwagi, accidentally pulling the collar through his head._

_"Here is where your life will end, little demon!" he sneers as he draws his arm back, preparing to thrust his hand straight into Kai's heart._

_Just as the elbow finishes moving back, a hand grabs and holds it tight. Yin calmly turns his head around to see the leader standing behind him, frowning boldly before the brash, younger elder._

_"See now!" Yin preaches, pointing an accusing finger at Kai, "The little demon has taken advantage of your kindness by stealing your power and using it to bring about an era of vengeance and hatred to the world!"_

_"Oji-san!" Kai screams, scrambling out of the uwagi and running over to the leader, glomping his leg and hugging it, "I'm sorry, Oji-san! I didn't want to steal your position! I just want to wear something that shows how much I like you!"_

_"You know nothing of what love truly is!" Yin retorts, sounding determined to win the leader's judgment, "Your mind is full of nothing but hatred, thirsting to destroy all who control your life so you can use their power to instill this world in an era of vengeance and disorder!"_

_He tears his elbow from the leader's grasp and picks up the wooden hanger torn from the closet, yanking the metal hook into a straight line, "We must do away with him if our future of bringing peace to this world, riddled with confusion and deception, is to be realized!" _

_Yin arches his hanger arm back, aiming the metal point towards Kai's trembling little body, and prepares to thrust it towards him when a hard hand slaps him across the face, forcing him to drop his hastily crafted weapon while his head nearly snaps off its neck from the impact._

_The leader retracts his hands, placing both on Kai's shoulders in a bid to ease his fear while glaring at Yin so infuriating he just about wet himself gazing into them. _

_"You dare strike the boy over an uneducated guess!?" he seethes, "You will never be worthy of this squad, or the heavens, if you continue to act out your fears upon those YOU think will be a threat to our future!" he thrusts his finger towards the door of the wardrobe room, "Return to your room and meditate for an hour! I want your selfishness contained by our next training session!" Yin stares at him in utter shock while rubbing the sore on his cheek, before shooting a vengeful glare at Kai and storming out of the room._

_The leader watches until the sounds of the footsteps fade into the distance before bending down and placing a hand on Kai's shoulders, feeling them tremble as he sobs in fright._

_"I apologize for the actions of my followers," he said, "They have had a complicated childhood when they were brought into the world by highly etiquette parents who want them to be well-behaved and obedient. And being born into the Late Meiji Restoration era only made their lives worse when overseas religion began to spread among our lands, scaring them into believing that the Gods have the authority to end this world if they so chose."_

_He sighs as he looks to a loose button shaped like a taijitu, only with the black and white dots replaced with holes large enough to fit string around, "Even I have tried to ease their frustration by showing them that there are kinder ways of expressing their views of peace to the world without resorting to violence of authority to gain attention. But they misinterpreted my words and seem to think of me as the messenger of the Gods, obeying no one but me, and chasing away anyone they consider to be a threat to my future. I fear what they will do to my squad once my time in this world has ended...."_

_Kai furrows his eyebrows in more worry, gaining a surprised look from the leader, who chuckles a bit and ruffles his hair, "But worry not, my child. I am still alive and healthy, and as long as I remain so, they will not make haste to get rid of you in their trek to instill their views of peace upon the world."_

_He looks towards the ceiling, "And perhaps, if I continue to show them the way to peace and harmony, they will eventually grow to accept the good of evolution and not have to worry about what they think the Gods see out of this."_

_Kai smiles and gives him a huge hug, confident that he will be able to help everyone relieve their problems for the future ahead._

* * *

Aoi places a cold, wet cloth over Kai's forehead as he lies within the confines of the blue bus, surprisingly comfortable given his large size. Her fellow compatriots, Sayaka and Anna, along with Saito and Suzuki, sat around him as they monitor his recovery after sensing he and Hajime were in danger, and rushing to the lake to find him passed out at the edge of the quagmire with Hajime presumably drowned beneath it.

"His one moment of inspiration...how could Yin treat it like it was the end of the world...?" Sayaka mutters in distraught.

"Why does he keep defending Dancho anyway!?" Aoi complains, standing up, "The meanie wants to kill us all when he gets his hands on the flag! Why keep sticking up for him when he knows he's already seen how he's treated everyone that runs into him!?"

"They are brothers...right...?" Anna mutters in thought, "Maybe he was hoping Dancho would turn around once he finds the guts to head into the city and help them relieve their stress."

Everyone stares at her in bewilderment as Anna shoots up from her seat, "Oh, c'mon guys! Didn't you hear a word Kai said when we kept warning him about how unstable Yin is; why he ignores us when he shows up to help us gain reliability to the world!? He believes he can still save them from spiraling down into depression and is doing everything he can to show them the true meaning of love! And what are we doing? We're calling them insane and claiming they're too senile to understand anything that doesn't come from God or their leader's mouth!"

Sayaka and Aoi look to each other in confusion, "He's lived with them a lot longer than we have, and knows why they act like this. He's taken a lot more than a simple religious lecture to get them to trust him, while we gave up on them after one nightmarish encounter! Instead of assuming they're bat-shit bonkers and telling Kai to start worrying about himself, we should be trying just as hard to figure out how we're going to gain their trust without making their presumption of our reputations worse!"

Sayaka compresses her lips as she looks down at her bare knees, "Maybe you're right.... Doumeki-san did banter us for not proving how much we really cared about those who call for us; claiming we only acted that way because he pressured us to do so. If he can put up with them for this long, and continue believing they can still be reformed, then maybe we should be doing the same to show them that there's more to keeping peace in this world than just making everyone throw away their own lives and bow to their representation of God."

Aoi furrows her eyebrows, "Yeah, but...."

"You're all a bunch of morons!" roars an aggravated voice that nearly sent the rest of the occupants jumping out of their seats.

Kai shoots up to a sitting position, knocking the wet cloth from his forehead as he slaps his hands on the floor hard enough to put hand-shaped dents in it, an enraged snarl plastered on his near weakened face, "They want to destroy our independence and turn the world into whatever demented era they claim is the grand vision of peace that everyone will accept, and you finally decide to put up with them simply because they are _brothers_!?"

He stomps to his feet, putting more dents into the floor, "You have absolutely no idea how hard it was for me to try and maintain the fact that they obsess over the Gods because of the trauma they suffered in the past! I stopped trying to tame Dancho because he's never around to drill the facts of reality into his thick skull and focused on giving Yin the love and care he never had; believing that if I showed him that our master's death doesn't destroy the affection he felt when he was still alive, he would understand and focus more on uniting the world in an era of peace and harmony just as we originally strived to achieve!"

Tears suddenly poured out of his eyes, a sight never before seen by those who stuck around long enough to know him beyond his cheering skills, "But my patience snapped when he not only took the life of a boy, who I thought was a pain in the ass until he bit the bullet trying to knock some sense into their god-obsessed minds, but thinks Dancho is a hero for killing the one person I held more dearly than even the Gods depicted in modern day religion!"

He grabs his uwagi and tears it off, throwing it to the floor while exposing the bandages wrapped around his waist like a corset, "Well I won't stand for it any longer! If they want to continue degrading down to killing each other over what point of view they claim is the most vital to the future of this world, then let them figure it out! Because I am through sitting in the background, letting my very life drain out of my brain as they continue to tear away the love of our world while they preach that their every nightmares are the only things they should be pouring their loyalty and attention to!"

The girls shudder in fright as Kai storms out of the bus, slamming the doors open and stomping out with enough force to nearly knock it over. Aoi looks over to Saito and Suzuki, her fists pressed hard against the bottom of her chin.

"What does he mean by that?" she squeaks, "I know he has a grudge against Dancho for killing his brother, but why did he wait until now to admit Yin is beyond help and salvation!?"

Suzuki frowns and looks down to the torn uwagi sitting on top of the ransacked sleeping bag, "It's true that Doumeki-sama hated Yin for always abusing and offending him with demonic names; and should have broken away from the squad the moment he devastatingly took control. But during that uneventful and frightening initiation, Doumeki-sama claimed he saw something that made him think twice about everything he thought Yin was before the old leader's death...."

* * *

_Five years had passed since he was taken under the wings of the ancient squad. He wasn't allowed to be involved in the business they do in the city on a daily basis, but is allowed to watch and learn how and when to enact their encouragement to those who call for them._

_Now, at age ten, he is undergoing preparation to join the ranks and help his master help people fight their problems; and with him learning to sense spirits for miles, their reliability will be even stronger than before. Eager to try for himself, he took the instructions given to him by the master, and upon following them comes across a familiar sensation; the life-long love of his brother standing close by, watching him and waiting for the day they will be reunited._

_In the past, Kai was almost certain his brother was never going to remember him after so many years apart, but now that he's been able to sense him, and learn that he not only remembers him, but is almost calling out to him, all presumptions were tossed out the window and replaced with excitement to rush out and find him. But first...._

_Kai leaves the quiet, isolated ambience of his room and rushes to the study, excited to talk to his master and praise him for finding out this great discovery._

_"Master! Master, I saw him!" he exclaims happily, "That mind training those villagers taught you! It really works! I really was able to see my brother! Now we can-!"_

_He trails off as his eyes widen in shock at the sudden transformation of the study._

_Five of the nine scrolls have been savagely torn from the wall behind the stage, leaving only justice, loyalty, righteousness, and obedience surrounding a single kanji delicately smeared in the center of the wall: kami; meaning "spirit" in the teachings of Shinto, but in most cases can sometimes be translated to "god"._

_Kai's stares at the rearrangement of the scrolls, horrified by the sudden revision of the representation. The leader said that the scrolls can convey a message depending on the way they are displayed. The nine virtues alone signify kindness and encouragement to all that live in the universe. But Yin not only dismantled them to just pledging nothing but allegiance, but also has it arranged so that pledge is bestowed to just one being; the Gods._

_"How blinded I was by such lies...to think all this time we have been living in an era of confusion and chaos brought about by the foolishness of humankind...." mutters a distraught voice from below the scroll of righteousness. Kai snaps his horrified gaze down to see Yin sitting in his master's place, wearing his master's uniform, and holding his master's flag; the squad symbol dangling over his head like a mighty god standing over him._

_"Oji-san...what's going on...." Kai mutters in fright, "Where's our master...?"_

_"Your master is standing right here!" Yin seethed as he rose to his feet, the lit candles exposing his wide, traumatized eyes as they struggle to express fierceness and bravery, "All this time we have been blinded by the one sin that should never have been released from Pandora's Box; the sin of Hope."_

_"Hope!?" Kai exclaims, "But everyone uses hope to help them get through their problems! It's just as important to the world as we are!"_

_"It is a sin like the other seven!" Yin sharply retorts, gaining a horrified blink from Kai, "It encourages humankind to break away from the one true vision of the Gods and gives them the power to craft their own Gods and religion, and use them to corrupt others into following their blind paths to redemption and peace!"_

_He lifts the flag and stabs it before him, "But no longer will I be blinded from the true path the Gods have paved for us. From this day forward, I will devote the remains of my life to destroying all selfish emotions, and create a future of peace where all know and obey the decisions made by the original Gods!"_

_Kai's eyes widen in horror as everything he was hearing now drills into his head like a Venus flytrap. He knew the leader had mentioned Vermillion Village to Yin earlier this morning and broke enough of his traumatized shell to convince him to head down there and check it out. Something must have happened that involved the inappropriate use of hope that scared him back to the dojo to warn the leader only to find him dead in his study, and was so distraught by the whole thing he took control of the squad and dismantled everything he considered a leap away from what he thinks is the one true path to peace._

_But that was the least of Kai's problem. Now that the old leader is gone, nothing can stop Yin from killing him as the first act to enforce his reliability to the Gods he thinks are now preparing to "end all life in existence". Staring into his traumatized eyes, he can almost see his life flash before his eyes, knowing they will be the past he will know before the dreaded fate that will end his young, adventurous life. _

_"I must prepare...." Yin mutters after a long, painstaking minute, "Prepare for the day where I will spread the Wings of Suzaku around my shoulders and ascend to the heavens to become the new addition to their ranks; the new God of Peace."_

_He turns to the scroll of righteousness, staring towards a trunk sitting below it with a padlock shaped like a phoenix keeping the lid from opening at will._

_"The deviousness of the village as striped the Great Suzaku of his wings after beating him in a game of knowledge, vowing to hunt down his children and slaughter them for their divine powers," Yin sighs as he places his hand atop the trunk, "My poor Suzaku...you were only trying to cleanse that village of the evil infesting it.... They did not deserve such a gift for insulting your divinity...."_

_His frown tightens as the long eyebrows raise like hackles, "But fear not, for I have carried out your wrath and put an end to their devil's cult. No longer will they use your children as chickens to clip their wings as they see fit."_

_"Carried out his wrath...." Kai mutters in shock before frowning in anger, "But why!? They worship Suzaku as much as the rest of us! You had no right to just burn their village to the ground without proper evidence!"_

_"The demons tore away the wings of the children protected by the Great Suzaku, giving them to the feeble-minded humankind and allowing them to create more chaos and confusion upon the world!" Yin seethes, not turning to face Kai, "The Great Suzaku descended from the sun to put a stop to the demon's savage offerings; and they repay him by challenging him to a game of knowledge and tearing away his Wings as a prize for beating him!?"_

_He begins to caress the trunk as though it was a sick animal, "Suzaku channels his final wrath unto me and blessed me with the power I needed to burn the damned cult to the ground, never to accept such cruel offerings from demons seeking to destroy the grace of our true Gods and tarnish humankind with more corruption and confusion."_

_"But they helped me find my brother!" Kai cries, "Now I know he's alive somewhere and waiting for me to come find him! If he finds out you killed them all-!" _

_Yin balls his fist along the top of the trunk, surprisingly not leaving any nail marks upon its wooden surface, "Enough!" He whips around to face Kai, standing tall and giving off a dreaded sense of bravado that sent chills down his spine, "Your brother is never coming back, nor will you be blessed with a reunion that only exists in your naïve, selfish mind!" _

_"What do you mean!?" Kai demands._

_"This brother you keep speaking about does not exist! He is a dream you conjured up when your abusive parents dumped you in the forest for not being their perfect little son!" _

_Kai's furrowed eyebrows tighten in confusion as he soaks in the lie Yin poured into his head. He expected the old man to either drive the flagpole through his heart or throw him out into the forest before a pack of bears, not act like the scenario that separated him from his brother has shot him with a post-traumatic stress disorder so horrifying it would even make him question whether he had a brother to begin with._

_Yin's frown tightens, taking Kai's confusion to think he had fallen for his brash lie, "Our leader found you laying in the forest unconscious from years of starvation and exhaustion, and brought you back to our abode to nurse you back to health. He pretended to believe your fantasy because he could not bear seeing your heart broken by the harsh reality of your past!"_

_Just as suddenly as his enraged glare appeared, it smoothes to tranquility as he walks over to Kai and pulls him into a reassuring hug, "Oh, you poor soul...to be shown such a cruel reality after so many years.... And now that our leader is gone, you will have no one else to turn to.... So it will be up to me to ensure that you are raised and shown the true way to happiness.... No longer will you ever have to live the rest of your life alone and confused by the lies those demanding humans have forced into your young mind...."_

_Kai just stares at Yin in horror; going from apprehension, to frustration, and then tranquility in a single thought? If it wasn't for the fact that he had already sensed the presence of his brother before this disaster, he would almost be tempted to fall for that brazen mess of lies._

_He wanted to break away from Yin and run away from the dojo as fast as he could, but something else caught his attention that he had never seen from the otherwise distraught elder, a single tear dripping from his eyes and splattering on the tatami mat below them. Did he say all this because he never had anyone that loved him before?_

_All this time Yin has been coming after him, calling him a demon and vowing to kill him once he got his hands on the flag; is he saying all this because he was envious of the love he received from both Yatto and his master? Maybe he isn't as overzealous as Kai once thought._

_Shown this shocking sight, Kai believed all he needed is someone who can show him what it's like to be loved, so he can break away from the nightmares that have been haunting him and learn to adapt to the changes in the world. And with the old leader gone, that task has fallen squarely in his hands, leaving him with little choice but to accept and do everything he can to ensure that Yin's final days are full of nothing but happiness and serenity so he can die knowing that not everyone is out to get him or the Gods he thought were the only beings that can bring the world true peace. _

* * *

Yin continues to sit before the trunk, Indian-style with his hands resting gently on his knees. Twelve long years since he "rescued" the Wings from the so called "devil's cult" and he still could not open it. He ponders why Suzaku would not trust him after all the promises and offerings he made to his children of protecting them from the savage hands of humanity.

"Great Suzaku...Fire Bird of the South...." he mutters in distress as he reaches over and places his hand gently on the top of the trunk, "I understand deeply why you continue to deny me access to your Wings and the children you once raised to bless our world with their purity.... But I have obtained the Wings from the denizens who tricked you into letting your guard down and allowing them to harvest and clip the wings of your children...and solemnly swear to use them to save this world from the evil that is manifesting in the minds of all humankind."

He begins to caress the top of the trunk, "Is there another reason you cannot allow me to reach in and grasp the Wings the villagers so savagely tore off your back...? Survivors that would repeat the cruelty and torture that you have worked so hard to halt...?"

He closes his eyes, trying to retrace his steps back to the moment of which he entered the cursed village and casted Suzaku's "wrath" upon those who deceived him for his greatness and power.

* * *

_When he heard that there are still people in existence who believe and worship the divinity of the Gods, Yin wasted no time seeking out this village and observing it for himself._

_Following the directions given to him by the leader, Yin strolls down the dark, muddy path until he arrived at a wall of mist._

_Though he was told that a veil of mist surrounds the village, he never thought it would be this dark, thick and foreboding. He begins to frown a bit in suspicion as he enters, continuing down the muddy path until he arrived at a shrine gate standing before the village of Shinto shrine-like houses dotting the area._

_Not moments after entering the village, his eyes widen in sheer horror. All of the good spirits the leader claimed live among the monks of the Shinto village are being overrun by all the evil demons depicted in folklores and myths. They chase the children, steal their toys while pushing them to the ground and wrestling with them, spitting out taunts as they struggle to pull themselves free. And the adults do nothing but laugh and encourage them to fight back; even gambling with the parents of the demons as to who will win the fight._

_Yin shakes in terror as he staggers through the streets of the village, gaining wavering glances from passerby who cringe and whisper something to each other concerning his "spirit"._

_From the mouth of the leader, this place is supposed to be divine, full of people who spread teachings of how the Great Suzaku has blessed them with his warm glow of sunlight. But now it looks as though the demons have taken over the village, cursing it and poisoning the inhabitants into accepting them as their friends._

_His tour of terror comes to a momentary halt when a childish laugh comes towards him from behind._

_"C'mon! Is that the best you can do!? I thought you Fire Birds were supposed to be super fast!"_

_Before Yin can turn to address the voice, he feels something slam into the back of his leg. Out of instinct, he stumbles away from the impact and turns to see a young boy, no older than six, fall flat on his rump while grabbing his face in pain._

_He wears the same vermillion robe as the rest of the cursed villagers, his dark, bushy hair shining red before the warm sunlight._

_A human-size phoenix flies over their head, holding a wooden chest in his large talons, laughing halfheartedly at the disposition the child had fallen into._

_"But I still know how to outsmart you!" he laughs._

_The child jumps to his feet, shaking a fist towards the fleeing Fire Bird while running his other hand through his hair._

_"You won't get away with this!" he shouts in determination, "I'll grapple you to the floor and ride your back before you reach Oji-chan's door!"_

_He then charges off after the Fire Bird, leaving Yin to stare and soak in the scenario like a vat of acid._

_That was no ordinary phoenix. The vermillion colors of his feathers and his size could only match one spiritual deity; Suzaku, Guardian of the South and loyal companion of the Gods. And the child threatens to capture him and ride him back to his grandparents?_

_"Unacceptable!" Yin snarls as he balls his fist in anger, "I must save the Great Suzaku from this demon before he succeeds!"_

_He chases after the fleeing figures, albeit slow and exhaustingly due to his failing strength. He was never as strong, or fast, as his little brother, or their leader, and eventually loses sight of them after a few blocks._

_An hour passes before he finds the demon child and Suzaku again. This time the child watches with boredom as the elder of the village and Suzaku sit around a wooden, rectangular board with Shogi pieces placed on different, smaller rectangles. There were more of Suzaku's Shogi pieces in the elder's box than there were in his._

_"Man, this is boring!" the child mutters in frustration, "Why do you have to play Shogi before I get to see that spirit guy put on Suzaku's Wings!?"_

_"Now, now," the elder chuckles, "It would be disrespectful for old friends to part ways without reminiscing on the good ol' days." He leers towards Suzaku, grinning in confidence, "In our early days, we would gather at this very house and play Shogi until the wee hours of the night while others gamble to see which of us can outsmart each other."_

_"I don't see the point. He's just going to give you the Wings anyway whether you win or lose!"_

_The elder turns an annoyed glance towards the child, "Instead of just standing there and gabbing like an old man, why don't you go play with his kids? I'm sure they're just as bored as you are standing at the entrance of the Spirit Gate and waiting for him to come back."_

_The child grumbles before standing up and sauntering off to where the Gate is located, leaving the two to continue playing in peace._

* * *

Yin snaps his eyes open upon realizing his mistake, "The grandchild of the demon who tore away the Great Suzaku of his Wings! The Gods would never allow me to forget every inch of his being and mind no matter how much my age tries to push it away!"

He rises to his feet, stabbing the flag to a standing position at his side as he turns to the doorway of the dojo, the lit candles casting light upon his face to show his deranged, terrified eyes.

"He should have been burned along with the rest of the devil's who deceived the Great Suzaku into giving up his Wings! He must have forced his children to protect them, tearing out their feathers and using them as a shield to escape the searing punishment dealt by his wrath!"

He turns to the doorway separating the study from the hallway lining the way to the other rooms in the dojo, "And now he has disguised himself as a juvenile, wandering the world and plaguing humanity with hope while driving them further from the path the original Gods have struggled so hard to maintain!"

His frown tightens, the long brows fluttering as they rise to express his godly anger towards the elapsing time it took for him to connect the past with the present, "But no longer! Now that you have shown the Gods the truth behind why you continue to avoid my kindness, they have grant me the power I need to seek and slay him before he succeeds in turning more of humankind away from their divine hands!"

With that, he marches out of the dojo, his aging mind set on nothing but the complete and total destruction of the child he considered to be the one and only ringleader of hope.


	10. Episode 10: What Comes to Deaf Ears

Episode 10: What Comes to Deaf Ears

Kazebayashi Residence.

Home of the genius pottery maker, Shizuyama Kazebayashi.

He faces his work, intending to include it into his upcoming Personal Expo.

But there's a small problem....

He has hit a creativity slump! Sitting before him as he raises his hand from a slab of ceramic he messed around with is a goofy doll with arms poised in different positions, one points to its side while the other points to its head.

"IT'S NO GOOD!!!" he cries in frustration.

His manager, meanwhile, stresses over the upcoming Expo, trying hard to hurry Shizuyama along.

"Sensei!" he cries, "There's only a month left until your Expo!"

"I know...." the genius potter grumbles as he stares at his recent failure of a sculpture.

As the small bamboo of his garden decoration drops towards a flat area of stone from the weight of the water spilling out of a small fountain, giving off a rhythmic sound, Shizuyama's inspiration drifts further from the soul of his heart. The goofy figurine looks to be the only entry he will bestow if nothing is done to reawaken his imagination.

Desperate for ideas, he grabs his head and lets out the only shout he knows that will bring about the encouragement he needs to move forward.

_**OUENDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!!!**_

Off to the side of the fiasco in progress, three men in black uniforms sit before their own turn tables, crafting their own style of pots.

Ryuta Ippongi, upon hearing the cry for help, turns his head to address the distressed, sensing his need to spring into action.

"What a slump!" Shizuyama cries in despair as the goofy figurine stands before him while taunting him with its emotionless face.

Just when all hope was about to be lost, the Bold Squad appears behind him, shouting "osu" towards his heart. Upon snapping to attention, a sense of desire flows through his veins, filling him with inspiration.

The manager, meanwhile, sits off to the side, trying hard to convince Shizuyama to not surrender to his slump.

"Sensei!" he calls out, "Maybe you should go to the hot springs for a little change of pace...."

Desperate for ideas, he collects his bathrobes and runs down to the locale onsen a few blocks from his location. Upon arrival, the Bold Squad are already inside, preparing to perform their first cheer for the day while he sets up his workshop and begins making shapes out of a slab of clay.

_ENJOY ongaku wa nari tsuzukoru  
__(The music keeps playing)  
__IT'S JOIN todoketai mune no kodou  
__(The beat of the chest we would like to deliver)  
__Kokoro odoru anakooru wakasu  
__(My heart dances, the encore is heated)  
__Dance dance dance (Ready Go!)_

While waiting for a spot at the hot springs, Shizuyama decides to prepare a small cup for the start of his inspiration. Between evening out the sides and looking at his craft book for ideas, the pace of his work seems to be mild and uninventive.

_Ima goingu gooruin yori  
__(I'm going right now, instead of hitting the goal)  
__Tobi koshi oto ni nori oyogi tsuzukeru  
__(I clear it, riding on the sound, I keep swimming)  
__ENJOY (enjoy) IT'S JOIN (it's join)  
__Koou suru kokoro hibiki tsuzukeru  
__(My heart continues to sound out in concert)_

He eventually ditches the craft book as the warmth of the hot springs burns his inspiration like a warm, summer day; expanding the height and width of the clay cup until it resembled a small vase.

_notteki na teki kotoba ga dete kita koko wa  
__(Exciting words came out of me, because this is)  
__kokoro odoru tokoro da kara  
__(The place where my heart dances)  
__oite kanai yo oi tsukitai nara  
__(I won't fall behind, if I want to catch up)  
__get up stand up iku shika nee  
__(I can only go on)  
__tsukanee yappa kizuita n da  
__(I don't know, but of course you've noticed)  
__100% shiawase no ishihyouji narase clap clap  
__(I intend to be 100% happy, sound it out)  
__nakama doushi yodooshi tsume konda  
__(Comrades, we forced ourselves all night long)  
__appaa na tenshon no shichueeshon  
__(A situation from upper-tension)_

Once the hot spring began to lighten up, Shizuyama picks a comfortable spot near the center where the heat is at its hottest.

_HAVE A DREAMIN' guriidingu  
__(Greeting)  
__kono ba no kuuki chuushin saakuru tsunagaru bugii  
__(The air here is centered, a circle, the connected boogie)_

While relaxing in his chosen spot, he hears the sound of water splashing a few feet away from him. Turning a curious eye towards it, he sees a young, beautiful woman easing herself into the steaming water while slowly removing her towel.

_furiikii kibarazu koko no minna to sono kachi aru kara  
__(Freaky, without going all out, there is value in everyone here)_

"Excuse me for disturbing you," she mutters as though she knew he was staring at her.

Her beauty is too awe inspiring for Shizuyama to say anything other than, "Inspiration flash!"

He rushes back to his room, throws his robe on and pumps up his turntable, "All right!"

_Swing, swing, sing a song_

One thrill aspiring hour later, he presents his artwork to his manager. Dubbed, the Goddess Vase, it represents a beautiful water goddess emerging from a swirling sea of blue and bubbles.

"Sensei, it's wonderful!" the manager shouts in awe and excitement.

_Kimajime hazukashigari demo dekiru  
__(I'm too serious, but I can get embarrassed too)_

As quickly as he finished showing off his new creation, another slump drops him back in disarray.

"Hmm...." he mutters, "It's not sufficient enough...."

_imajineeshon nozomu tokoro da  
__(I want some imagination)_

"Sensei!" the manager calls out, "Maybe you should try moving your body around...?"

_Cha no aida toko no aida tokoro kamawazu botan  
__(The living room, the little alcove, I don't care where)  
__hitotsu de odoru kokoro ga  
__(My heart dances on a single button)_

Shizuyama didn't seem sure about the idea, but with another encouraging shout from the Bold Squad, he was more than happy to give it a try, renting out a dance suit and heading off to a nearby dance studio to start practicing.

_ENJOY ongaku wa nari tsuzukoru  
__(The music keeps playing)  
__IT'S JOIN todoketai mune no kodou  
__(The beat of the chest we would like to deliver)  
__Kokoro odoru anakooru wakasu  
__(My heart dances, the encore is heated)  
__Dance dance dance (Ready Go!)_

Shizuyama struggles to get in the mood, but was too focused on the upcoming Expo to do nothing more than a few swings of the arms and legs. But as he listens to the music playing around him, his groove begins to flare up, giving him more courage to throw off his moves with fierce grace and gusto.

_Ima goingu gooruin yori  
__(I'm going right now, instead of hitting the goal)  
__Tobi koshi oto ni nori oyogi tsuzukeru  
__(I clear it, riding on the sound, I keep swimming)  
__ENJOY (enjoy) IT'S JOIN (it's join)  
__Koou suru kokoro hibiki tsuzukeru  
__(My heart continues to sound out in concert)_

Halfway through the lessons a feminized, yet muscular, man casts a cutesy wink towards them.

"Alright everyone," he says femininely, "Excellent, everyone! That's the rhythm!"

Gazing upon his presence bursts Shizuyama's inspiration like an erupting volcano.

"Inspiration flash!" he slaps his trusty turntable onto the ground in front of him and spins it to life, "All right!"

The finished product, Beautiful Muscle Cup, resembles the beefy, masculine biceps with a single arm acting as the handle.

"Sensei! It's so muscular!" the manager gasps with shock.

But it doesn't take long for Shizuyama to topple over the slump and find himself back at rock bottom.

"Still not efficient enough," he hums in thought.

"Try getting some stimulus from the youth!" the manager says in encouragement, further fueled by the trio of youths who shout another douse of inspiration into Shizuyama's soul.

Anxious to develop his next piece, Shizuyama throws on some street clothes and rushes out to a disco club just down the corner from his quiet, peaceful bungalow in the neighborhood.

_Gureetofuru egaku sukeeru wa dekaku  
__(Painting a grateful picture, the scale is huge)  
__tanoshii mon da eraku derakkusu  
__(It's fun, a wonderful deluxe)  
__nerau hima nanka tanjun ni kantan azukete  
__(The spare time I'm shooting for is simply simple;)  
__kaunto daun 3-2-1  
__(leave it to me, countdown 3-2-1)_

With permission from the DJ, Shizuyama takes to the turntables, throwing a pair of headphones on and running his hands over the records spinning on top.

At first, no one seemed sure of the sudden appearance of an old man trying to mingle into their generation, but once he started showing off the experience of throwing a party, they were more than happy to bang their heads to the beat of the music he throws on.

_nari furi kamawazu muchuu de kake nukero iki  
__(Not caring about appearance, run through your dreams;)  
__maite it's like this  
__(Breathe)  
__sara ni fukai kandou e mooretsu  
__(A workaholic moving toward emotion after all)  
__oh yes kokoro odoru kyou e  
__(My heart dances toward today)_

Shizuyama eventually joins the youth in jamming out to the music playing until another eruption of inspiration bursts from his mind.

"Inspiration Flash!" he shouts as he slaps two slabs of clay onto the records and uses them to spin out his idea, "All right!"

_Ima goingu gooruin yori  
__(I'm going right now, instead of hitting the goal)  
__Tobi koshi oto ni nori oyogi tsuzukeru  
__(I clear it, riding on the sound, I keep swimming)_

Off the records comes the latest in his lineup of potteries: the Jet Black Sound Plate; literally a jet black plate with a decorative array of swirls encased within a large circle, giving off a vinyl resemblance.

"Sensei, it's jamming!" the manager says in awe.

With one more shout from the Bold Squad, Shizuyama erupts with more inspiration, quickly manning his ceramic turntable and throwing on slabs of clay to create more artistic potteries for his expo.

_ENJOY ongaku wa nari tsuzukoru  
__(The music keeps playing)  
__IT'S JOIN todoketai mune no kodou  
__(The beat of the chest we would like to deliver)  
__Kokoro odoru anakooru wakasu  
__(My heart dances, the encore is heated)  
__Dance dance dance (Ready Go!)  
__Ima goingu gooruin yori  
__(I'm going right now, instead of hitting the goal)  
__Tobi koshi oto ni nori oyogi tsuzukeru  
__(I clear it, riding on the sound, I keep swimming)  
__ENJOY (enjoy) IT'S JOIN (it's join)  
__Koou suru kokoro hibiki tsuzukeru  
__(My heart continues to sound out in concert)_

_ENJOY (enjoy) IT'S JOIN (it's join)  
__Kokoro odoru anakooru wakasu  
__(My heart dances, the encore is heated)  
__Dance, dance, dance (Ready go!_)  
_Ima goingu gooruin yori  
__(I'm going right now, instead of hitting the goal)  
__Tobi koshi oto ni nori oyogi tsuzukeru  
__(I clear it, riding on the sound, I keep swimming)  
__ENJOY (enjoy) IT'S JOIN (it's join)  
__Koou suru kokoro hibiki tsuzukeru  
__(My heart continues to sound out in concert)_

On the day of the Expo, many of Shizuyama's art is on display, making headline news in no time flat.

Mr. Announcer confronts the famous potter, holding out his mic in order to catch his every words, "Sensei! One word please!"

Decked out in lavish clothing, Shizuyama lowers his head as he thinks up a catch phrase for himself.

"Ceramic...." he mutters before throwing his head back and roaring at the top of his lungs, "BIG BANG!!!"

* * *

Yin marches through the thickets of the forest, his eyebrows still floating high as the rays of sunlight expose his wide, pupil-dilated, furious eyes.

"How could I have been so blind...?" he mutters in distraught, "All those years, thinking the reason the Great Suzaku has refused to wrap his Wings around me is because he was too frightened by the betrayal of the cultist village to trust humankind again...when the real reason is because of the survival of one who forced his children to protect him from his wrath.... All those years he has been helping Hope drive the world further into confusion and disorder while calling it an era of peace far better than that of the true Gods...."

He stops as he approached the edge of the forest leading straight into the city. The last time he went there was after the invention of the locomotive, a manmade monster that eats other humans and travels over water to other lands in search of more humans to feast on. So terrified that the monster will find and devour him, he refused to leave the forest, often times pleading with the old leader not to go into the city for fear it will develop a taste for divine flesh after swallowing him whole.

But a man-eating, metal millipede was nowhere as devastating as the Gods even elders claim will condemn him to hell if he does not choose their religion and follow it as they demand. There were so many paths to choose from, so many Gods who will show them mercy, and yet they are only allowed to follow one. And no matter who they choose, another will always be in their faces, demanding they choose their God and their path or face their damnation. All his life he can never figure out why he never has his own God or path for others to follow; why they never come to him personally to tell him where his loyalties lie, or who is most deserving of bringing the world to unanimous peace.

The answer to all of Yin's confusion came in a dream one night. Surrounded by beings claiming to be the true, original Gods, they express their displeasure of the human's selfish views of their might and mind, and will cast the ultimate punishment on all humankind if they don't stop acting on their beliefs and return to their righteous sanctuary. Fearful of such an outcome, he tries to spread it to the people the same way they have done to him, but they refused to listen to him, believing him to be cursed by the devious minds of the devil, and demand he stop following them for the sake of the Gods they claim are the true original ones.

It wasn't until Hope revealed its true colors by killing the only man, who may as well be one with the original Gods, that Yin finally vowed to make them known; surrendering his body as their vessel to channel their powerful emotions and command him to cast them on whomever or whatever they consider a threat to their very existence. And it will be this power that will forever end the poisonous spread of false religions claiming to be the rightful guide to unanimous peace.

Before he could continue towards the edge to see just how disastrous the denizens of Hope have conjured up, three shadows emerged from the wall of trees, walking neutrally into the darker parts of the forest. Yin's eyes widen as a single ray of sunlight casts over the hair of one of the shadows, causing a red outline to shine over the top of its head. Only one person could emit such a molten glow.

"He shows himself.... The demon child from the village that deprived the Great Suzaku of his Wings!" he seethes as he turns and marches after the trio, clutching the flag tightly as it trembles, "Once again, he has tarnished the minds of humankind with the corruptness of Hope, turning them further away from the true path of the Gods."

Not a second after he begins trailing after them did the targeted shadow suddenly sense his rising negativity, forgoing his original plan of going deeper in the direction in front of him and walking away from the other two shadows, leaving them there to question his nonchalant retreat before seeing Yin marching through them at a hasty, yet calm pace, his eyebrows stretched high like wings ready for takeoff.

* * *

The moderately slow chase lasts for a couple hours before the sight of sunlight signals an opening in the forest.

The chased emerges first, the shadow washing away to reveal Ryuta as he comes to a stop upon realizing he is standing in the middle of a path between the walls of the forest, and a 30ft ravine leading to the savage river below.

"Here is where your corruption ends, slayer of the Gods," booms a voice from where he fled from. Turning his head slightly, he sees Yin leave the comfort of the trees, staring daggers into his heart while stabbing the flag into the ground with each two steps.

"Only by casting the ultimate punishment upon you will the Great Suzaku finally understand my just and rest his severed Wings upon my shoulders as clearance to the original Gods that I am ready to aide them in their quest to bring true peace to the world."

Ryuta turns sharply towards Yin, his frown tightening in frustration, "You haven't changed at all, old man; always hiding in the forest while calling everything you hate a sin to the Gods!"

"The Gods have been angered by the changes that occurred after the accursed Hope spread into the naïve minds of humankind," Yin preaches, rather calmly given the harshness in his eyes, "Encouraging them to steal their power and use it to craft Gods they claim will bring better peace if we cast aside that which we have obeyed since the beginning of time to pledge allegiance to the religions they create."

His eyes widen, giving off a more traumatized, helpless sight that instills more pity than hatred, "Now the world has fallen into confusion, where humankind cannot choose what Gods to follow, prompting them to steal the knowledge of other lands in order to create their own Gods to help them pave their own paths-"

"Like what you're doing right now?" Ryuta interrupts, gaining a more widened, traumatized glare from Yin, "You couldn't cope with the onslaught of non-Shinto or Buddha religions once Japan allowed them to be taught. So you created your own Gods based on a single nightmare depicting their true forms and powers, and claimed all other religions were false accusations created by humans to wipe away the existence of the Gods you claim are the true original deities of the universe."

Yin's entire body begins to tremble as he struggles to disbelieve the facts pouring into his head, "It wasn't until after you stumbled into my village and mistook a stupid game of Shogi between my grandfather and one of the Fire Birds as a Game of Knowledge that you snapped under stress and destroyed my village; claiming the final wrath of Suzaku has been casted upon us while vowing to use the Wings you stole to return order and obedience back to the ones you think are the true bringers of peace; believing yourself to become some great messiah that even the original Gods will pledge loyalty to every waking second!"

"ENOUGH!!!" Yin roars, swinging his flagpole at Ryuta as he jumps out of his way and lands dangerously close to the edge of the ravine.

The Bold Leader stares at the shadows casted over the cliff while the irate elder marches closer to him.

"I am the savior of the Gods!" he exclaims, his eyebrows now straight into the air in sheer rage, "I am the last human being who knows their true divinity, and I will see to it that all who breathes the divine air of the heavens think of nothing but obeying the judgments they cast upon them from the moment they are brought into this world to the day they wither away like the very plants they step on."

He arches his arm back, poising the flagpole like a spear aimed at Ryuta's heart, "Their fury fuels within me, giving me the power I need to drive this flagpole through your heart and end your tarnished life, taking with it the last spark of Hope keeping humankind from returning to their divine hands!"

A sudden sound of a snapping twig cuts the thickness of the wrath spiritually burning throughout the ravine. Ryuta eyes the source to see Kai standing an inch from sunlight, dressed in his modern Ouendan uniform, staring in horror at what was going on. It was obvious he was alerted to a sense of dread coming from the ravine and rushed over there to see what was going on.

Yin slowly twists his head around to see what was causing such a distracting noise. Ryuta grits his teeth in hesitation; Kai has worked so hard to draw his support away from Dancho, preventing him from being sent into the city at the first grasp of the flag. If Yin so much as saw him wearing something that wasn't the usual black samurai-like uniform representing the old squad, he'll be so devastated by the betrayal he'll go running behind his little brother and begging him to get rid of Kai, gratefully handing control of the squad to him once the "disaster" has been dealt with.

Not wanting that scenario to take flight, Ryuta grabs the flagpole and attempts to tear it out of his hands. Startled by the force, Yin whips back around and jerks the pole out of his hands, instilling his own force that flung the attacker clear off the edge of the ravine.

Kai's eyes widen in horror as he rushes out of the shadows of the forest in a vain attempt to catch Ryuta before he fell to far out of reach only to be stopped by a backswing that slaps the foot of the flagpole across his face and sends him spiraling to his side.

The faint sound of a body hitting rock and the sense of a burning soul extinguishing to mere sparks snaps the large Ouendan's eyes back open as he jerks his head up to the shadowy line of the ravine, trying desperately to sense any movement only to get nothing but fading life.

"The last of Suzaku's wrath has been carried out," Yin mutters as his eyebrows flutter back to their original, elderly posture, "Now he will know how reliable I am to his children and bless me with his Wings."

"The last of Suzaku's wrath!?" Kai snaps as he springs to his feet, "He hasn't done anything to invoke his wrath! You had no right to-!"

"He is the last survivor of the devil's village that tore off the Wings of Suzaku," Yin said as he turns in the opposite direction of where Kai stood, and prepares to journey back into the forest, "He was going to use the Wings to drag the world down another path to disorder; they all were. It was vital that I carry out the last of his wrath to rid the world of all who want to use the powers of the Gods to turn the world into a nightmare they consider to be the one true future of peace."

"Is this how you want to end your life!?" Kai exclaims, "To force the entire world into believing nothing but your nightmares and accept you as a savior who miraculously saved them from living the rest of their life in fear and stress!? Even if, by some miracle, you save them from a world-shattering disaster and made them bow to you as the only God in existence to bring them true peace and harmony, the moment you pass away, they'll waste no time going back to following the path their religion of choice takes them down!"

"True Gods never die," Yin states, turning to face Kai in time to see his face twist into a frustrated snarl; never taking his eyes off for even a second to gander at any changes in his appearance, "They are immortal, infallible, and more powerful than the Gods you were poisoned into believing. They are the one true reality that will wash away all sinful religions and show the world what true peace is all about."

His eyes widen again as they struggle to maintain goodness and just, "Once the Great Suzaku relinquishes the last of his blessings upon me, death will be nothing but a futile threat spat by even the most powerful of demons! All knowledge of hope, encouragement, and religion will be cleansed from the minds of humanity, leaving only one path and one future; the future of loyalty, righteousness, and obedience towards the only being who can save them from the hells they created!"

"Even if you do obtain the powers of the Gods, humankind won't just simply turn to you for guidance and support!" Kai exclaims, "There are still organizations out there who know how to maintain peace and harmony without demanding loyalty or respect from those they respond to!"

"Can such cults save the world from a disaster threatening to end its existence?" Yin preaches, gaining a shocked blink from Kai, "When diseases and plagues ruin their lives, will they simply call upon the folly methods of those who claim they can save them from anything? They can fool humanity to stick by their side all they want. But when such a disaster strikes with devastating force, Hope will abandon them, laughing like the evil sin it was as humankind struggles to call upon their manmade Gods to save them only to realize that they are figments of their feeble imagination!"

Kai's body trembles in disbelief as Yin turns to face the forest, "When that day comes, I will descend from the heavens and end the disaster before it even touches our lands, revealing the foolishness the world has accepted for allowing the corrupt sin of Hope sway them into believing they have the power to conquer anything. All of the universe will be so horrified by the realization of Hope's true nature that they will destroy it and drive away anyone responsible for allowing it to flourish for so many years, forever swearing their loyalty to the one true vision of the Gods!"

Yin lowers his head, casting a shadow over his distraught eyes, "It is time for you to decide where your place will be, Doumeki Kai. Will you continue to turn the world against the true divinities of the Gods only to be exiled by the very people you poisoned into siding with you for peace; or will you continue to serve them as this squad was originally made to follow, and be welcomed into their divine salvation?"

He begins to head into the shadows of the forest, "Make your choice now, Doumeki Kai. For when Suzaku spreads his Wings and carries me to the heavens, the real process of riding the world of all that troubles it will begin. And I will not hesitate to point out the denizens responsible for prolonging the suffering humankind has struggled so hard to believe was the peace they had waited so long to accept."

Kai just watches as the shadows wash over Yin's aging, frail body, dropping to his knees as he struggles to cope with the realization that his promise will be broken no matter how hard he tries to maintain it.

End Note:

There was a line missing from the translation of Kokorou Odoru, so I had to use Babel fish to figure out what that line meant.


	11. Episode 11: Through the Eyes of a Ghost

Episode 11: Regain What was Taken

Hajime twitches slightly as his senses began to return, feeling the full constriction of the mud surrounding his body. He didn't know how long he was trapped down here, but judging from the emptiness above him, it was morosely clear Kai's one time of understanding admiration has been shattered by his lack of courage to step in and get him out. If Yin hadn't batted him around like a human baseball, he would have been able to show Kai quicksand isn't as deadly as many people and media had led him to believe.

Mustering what strength he could, he stretches his hand as high as possible, feeling soggy soil slipping off his fingers and hand until he felt his arm strain to a stop, leaving him wrist deep in the mud; indicating he hadn't sunk that far while stuck in a belly down position. Drawing more energy into his mud-constricted body, he curls into a fetal position and stretches upward, digging his legs deeper into the mud while his upper body pushes towards the direction of his wrist, barely managing to pull half his head through as he tips it back enough to free his nose and mouth and gasp some much needed, fresh mid-afternoon air to sooth the world of pain he's still in.

Using the hand he freed up, he pulls his glasses off, leaving an oval-shaped area of cleanliness around his eyes, and shakes the excess mud off before sticking them back on, getting a good look at his surroundings. Only a mere foot from the edge of the bog before losing consciousness from the pole-batting, weight constricting ordeal; if Kai didn't think just winding up in quicksand-like substances is fatal enough, watching him sink over his head was more than enough of a red herring to drill the presumption of his death into his traumatized mind.

Muffling a curse in English, Hajime used his lone hand to drag the rest of his body through the mud, finally managing to haul himself onto grassy, more solid ground. Once back in the open field surrounding the lake, he assesses the damage to his uniform; aside from the obvious cakes of mud, there were two slashes on his coat, exposing most of his bare chest.

Sensing the tension in the spiritual atmosphere, he was sure the rest of the squad was aware of what happened and have also presumed him dead due to how little they knew him. He would've ran over to them to at least let them know he was okay; but the "new" appearance may give them the wrong impression. Luckily they aren't at the Phoenix Pond so he would save them the shock-fest (Though at the cost of his only chance of getting to know them better).

After trudging through the forest for half an hour, Hajime is eventually greeted by the warm steam emitting from beyond a large fence of wild bushes. Passing through them, he comes across a large lake standing in front of a cold waterfall, with a large family of stalagmites sticking out the center. The stones decorating the edge of the lakes and walkway indicate he wasn't the first one to discover it.

Hajime pulled off his uniform, wincing at the tearing sound resulting from the slash marks Yin cut into his coat earlier, before taking the trunks given to him by the other members of the squad and walking over to the waterfall.

A spare, wooden bucket full of bath assortments had been left near the pond surrounding the waterfall, suggesting one of other members of the squad was aware that he wasn't as dead as Kai may have blathered earlier that morning; Ryuta most likely since he's practically the guru of spirit reading.

Taking anything other than just standing under the waterfall and freezing for several seconds, Hajime picks up the bucket and begins using the contents inside to scrub the mud and muck from his body before sticking the bucket into the waterfall to fill with crisp, cold mountain water, and dumping it onto his body several times to wash away the suds; giving a quick shiver before slipping the swim trunks on and heading over to the lake.

He sat down near the edge and dunk his feet into the spring, wincing hard at the near scorching temperature; nearly three times as hot as the manmade springs he used to relax in. Looking over the edge, he sees molten veins glowing at the very bottom of the lake, reminding him of the dangers of bathing in natural hot springs. Luckily there were slanted stalagmites sticking out near the surface, acting as stools to sit or stand on and rest when he grows tired of swimming.

Heaving a nervous sigh, Hajime slips deeper into the spring, gritting his teeth harder as the near scorching pain rides up the rest of his body. If this wasn't part of the squad's training to tolerate any pain that hits them, he would think they were obsessed with burning themselves. He heaves another sigh before pulling his hands away from the corners and pushes off a few feet from the wall while sinking up to his chin, taking in a few breaths before submerging completely to allow the searing heat to surround his entire body.

After a moment, the pain slowly subsides to warm relaxation seemingly massaging the aches and constriction he suffered in the past couple of days. As he was preparing to fall into a calm trance, he heard a familiar voice calling to him.

_Hajime...._

Hajime snaps his eyes open as he turns upright and pokes his head through the surface in time to see two ghostly arms wrap around and pull him into a relieved hug.

_Hajime...thank goodness you're alright...._

Hajime trails the arms towards the edge of the hot spring to find Yatto crouched low enough to reach him.

"Oni-san?" he asked as he felt Yatto's arms weaken, slowly slipping him back into the spring, "I would've thought you'd stop by the dojo first since Yin wasn't...." he trails off when the water passes over his mouth and nose; not bothering to tread as it eventually folds over his head.

Yatto furrows his eyebrows a bit as he places his knees on the cobblestone ground, _I was going to...but then I sensed the old man's irate desperation shoot through the roof, followed by Kai's distress and your weakening spirit...I had to abandon what I was doing to check up on you.... _

Hajime swims towards one of the slanted stalagmites sticking 3ft under and uses it to pull himself to the surface while sitting on it, "I might've lost consciousness earlier, but I'm fine now. Wish I could say the same for Kai though. I felt his hysteria as I was sinking in that quagmire; probably thinks I'm dead due to those stereotypical physics about quicksand, and has probably told the squad about it, leading them to think I'm dead."

Yatto's furrowed eyebrows tighten as he grabs the feather-shaped key hanging off the fire-shaped rosary beads around his neck, _I can't go on like this any longer.... I need to get those Wings before the old man figures out why he can't get the trunk to open with just a nurturing prayer...._

"Well, getting tensed up about it isn't going to help you come up with a better game plan," Hajime said before leaning back against the jagged stalagmite sticking out of the water, "Maybe you should take a break and relax a while. Try taking a swim in this spring; the heat from the water should ease your tension and help you think more clearly."

Yatto didn't seem sure of the invitation. Sensing Yin's confidence that the "true gods" will be realized, he felt he should run back over to the dojo and take the Wings before he returns. But the hypnotic sense of warmth emitting from the hot spring wraps around his paranormal body, seeming to nudge him towards the water. Sighing slightly in ease, he climbs into the spring, completely disregarding the tradition of undress, wash and rinse; then again, him being a ghost who can't hold a bar of soap for more than a few seconds doesn't seem to put too much of a damper on his Japanese etiquettes.

Once the water reached his shoulders, the full extent of warmness embraces him, easing him into letting go of the edge as his body floats on the surface.

Water is the only physical object ghosts can control outside Vermillion Village, allowing their bodies to sink or float depending on how much they absorb into their body. By only letting the water reach his shoulders, Yatto doesn't have to put much of a swing in his joints to keep from sinking. But as he was letting the heat massage his body, the fire-beaded necklace and the key attached to it began to glow a dim, fiery color.

At first, Hajime didn't notice the glow until he saw Yatto begin to sink further into the spring.

"Um...Oni-san, you don't have to sink that far to let the water ease your tension," he mutters, a bit nervously.

_I'm not...._ Yatto mutters before suddenly taking notice of the water reaching his nose. Panicked, he pulls his head back while shaking water from his body in a vain attempt to keep himself afloat only to feel an unusual increase in weight on his shoulders as the necklace and key glow brighter, pulling him deeper into the spring until his entire body becomes too full of water to maintain buoyancy.

Hajime blinks in shock as he staggers off the stalagmite he sat on and swam over to try and grab the key only to miss by a few inches; watching in confusion as it pulls Yatto deeper underwater and towards an opening near the bottom of the spring. He tries to go after him, but by the time he reached the archway, his lungs inflated from the lack of air, forcing him to abandon the chase and rush to the surface, gasping loudly upon breaking through.

He floats on the surface for a few minutes, eyes squeezed shut as he concentrates on his breathing in an attempt to draw in enough air to keep him sustained for when he dives back down. But as he was doing so, the sound and sensation lulls him into calming trance, causing him to slowly stop treading while his body begins to sink into the lake until he felt water shooting into his nose and mouth.

Startled, Hajime scrambles to pull his head back up, coughing and snorting out the water he nearly inhaled while trying to figure out what made him space out in the first place. He vaguely remembers falling under the same trance when he was sinking in the quagmire back near the lake; how he was thinking of nothing but gathering enough air to keep him alive only to feel himself slip into a sense of calmness that eased him to stop breathing once his nose became clogged with mud.

Thinking further on this strange sensation, he remembered it being a common practice in Vermillion to concentrate on their breathing when in danger of entering asphyxiating environments; he then wonders if the squad used the same technique to help strengthen their stamina during long-winded performances that involve chasing after the distressed whenever they sense them hitting a roadblock.

Hajime can sense Yatto's movements come to an abrupt stop several feet from the springs, a weakened spark indicates he may have passed out, perhaps from the shock of being dragged around by an unknown entity. Desperate to get to him and see if he was okay, Hajime closes his eyes and concentrates on his breathing again, feeling himself being lulled back into a calming trance as the water starts to brush over his body, feeling his jugular close up once his nostrils touched the surface.

After a few minutes, he opens his eyes to find himself staring at the old cavern archway, surrounded by pitch darkness with only the molten veins indicating where the walls are. He felt hesitant to go in at first, but upon refocusing on Yatto, he senses his presence about 10ft higher than where he is, indicating there may be a surface on the other side of the tunnel.

Curious, Hajime decides to take the risk and enters the tunnel, staying leveled with the roof and molten veined ground while remaining calm and less focused on his need for air.

* * *

_"Why can't I see my brother!?" exclaims a frustrated, child-like voice, "I wanna see my brother!" _

_Yatto wheezes as he opens his remaining eye, greeted by a bamboo ceiling sheltering over him. His lungs felt like they were being constricted by an anaconda; he can't breathe, yet he was able to regain consciousness and stay that way._

_He sits up to survey the rest of his surroundings, too suffocated to remember how he got here._

_It appears to be some kind of study room, containing shelves full of books on one end of the wall, while a row of large scrolls hung over a small stage on the adjacent wall, each bearing the Japanese kanji of nine virtues: righteousness; justice; loyalty; courtesy; serenity; faith; wisdom; obedience; piety._

_Before he could ask where he was, a mighty voice speaks below the scroll of Serenity._

_"I cannot burden you with such a grotesque sight," the elder mutters in remorse, "You are much too young to be traumatized by what my brash pupil has dealt onto him."_

_Sitting below the scroll of Serenity is a man, three times older than those Yatto has met in the city, wearing a pure white uwagi, with red dots stitched on the sleeves, and hakamana, and holds a red flagpole with the Japanese flag draped by his side as though it were a constant companion._

_Standing beside him is his little brother, Kai, tugging on one of his sleeves with a devastated look on his face._

_"But if I don't let him know I'm okay, he'll think I'm dead and be too devastated to continue training for the Martial Arts Tournament!"_

_Kai...._ _Yatto mutters, staggering to his feet and moving towards his distraught little brother,_ _What're you talking about...? I'm right here...!_

_The elder sighs as he places his hand on Kai's head and rubs the black, bristly hair sticking out of it, "He knows you are alive, young one. But he worries if he let you see what the doctors are doing to fix him up, you would be too traumatized to want to see him again. He has asked me to look after you until he recovers from his ordeal."_

_Yatto furrows his eyebrows in confusion as the elder gazes upon the scroll depicting the Japanese kanji for "faith", "He is a strong Muay Thai fighter like you have proclaimed. If he can best the strongest warriors in the sport of hand-to-hand combat, he will fight the pain of his wounds and one day return to embrace your worried soul."_

_Wh...why're you doing this...?_ _Yatto mutters hysterically_, _Why're you talking like I'm not even in the room...!?_

_Kai jumps back and pumps his fists in excitement._

_"Really!? Alright! Until then, I'm gonna train under you and learn everything about cheering so that when he does return, I'll have the knowledge and courage to cheer him through every tournament he enters! We'll be able to buy a house away from the slums and never have to live in danger again!"_

_He then scampers towards the doorway leading out of the study as Yatto starts to panic over his ignorance to his presence._

_Kai, wait...!_ _he calls out, dropping to a kneel as he throws his hands out to catch him. But the attempt fails as the oblivious boy not only passes through his arms...but his entire body as well. His eye widens in shock as he stares at his stretched out hands to find them a ghostly, transparent blue, then snaps his head down to find a rectangular-shaped hole in his central body, exposing the once red innards of his gakuran trench coat._

_What...!?_ _he yelps as he grabs his coat and yanks it shut,_ _What happened to me...!?_

_It was at this point that everything he had forgotten up until now came flooding back into his ghostly brain; the accident that led to his horrific demise by the monster man who thought he was challenging him for control of the world. _

_This can't be happening...._ _he mutters in fright, grabbing his head in hysteria,_ _This has to be a nightmare.... There's no way this can be happening...!_

_Before he could think of a solution to his problem he heard a sharp, yet calm voice calling from the doorway Kai ran out of. _

_"Relinquish your curse from my little brother," it demands with mild distraught. The leader's smile fades to sternness, not bothering to look towards the source of the voice. Yatto on the other hand does, seeing Yin, wearing the black, white dotted samurai outfit that now belongs to Kai, march into the study with a distraught frown on his face; but that wasn't what shocked Yatto about his presence._

_Upon gazing at him, he can see a transparent blaze of dark blue fire surrounding his frail being, giving off a sense of dread and sorrow that made Yatto want to pity whatever left him in that state. His furrowed eyebrows tighten as he looks down at himself, wondering how he was able to sense these and why they were urging him to feel sorry for someone he's never met in his physical existence._

_"I have discussed this with you before," the leader said rather gruffly as he goes back to reading his Buddhist tome, "Back in the days of our acquaintance, your brother has displayed more than hatred towards the spirits, the Gods, and the people they watch over; and I have struggled to tame him for many years. But yesterday, he has executed one of the most brazen, inhumane acts I have ever laid eyes on! Therefore, he will carry the name Dancho until he learns of its negative meaning and pleads with all life in the universe to lift it from his persona!" _

_"My brother has save us all from being led down a path of vengeance and hatred," Yin protests, "The deities have finally broken through his stubbornness and proved to him that their way is the only way to bring peace to the world. The death of the demon who has slain many to gain power was my brother's way of repenting for his sheer misunderstanding." _

_The leader slams the book with one hand as he eyes Yin, "I have made this clear to you many times, Yin! Martial Arts is not a demonic ritual giving humans the power to dominate the world and gain access to the heavens! Even the humble Buddhist monk trains his students in the art of fighting to defend their temples from intruders and attain enough income to keep their traditions alive!"_

_Yin's frown tightens as his long brows begin to flutter upward, the blue flame surrounding him fluxing between light and dark as if struggling to decide who he should believe more, "Besides, the brothers seem to have little choice in the matter. Inexperienced youngsters misinterpreted the meaning of love and bore children because of it; the oldest suffered the worst from their mistakes, only sharing a year of happiness before a dreaded kitchen accident not only took out his left eye, but also sliced the love right out of their hearts."_

_The leader lowers his head in sorrow, "And it worsened when little Kai was born. The strain was too much for the mother, killing her and driving the father into a state of depression so great he ended his own life, leaving them to fend for themselves."_

_His eyebrows furrow in more sorrow, "I cannot bare to see what will happen when he learns that his brother is dead...."_

_Yatto looks over to the leader, seeing his emotional fire pure blue, giving off a sense of sorrow that urged him to want to sympathize and trust his decision to lie to Kai in order to avoid shattering his confidence and driving him down to deep depression._

_Yin stood near the doorway in silence, while the leader goes back to reading the Buddhist tome, before marching further into the room, "If what you say is true, then the boy must be dealt with before he gains the strength to steal your power away!"_

_Yatto snaps his head towards the irate elder, seeing his dark blue aura dim to the point of the pitiful sensation turning to one of slight hesitation, while the leader's frown tightens, never taking his eyes off the tome._

_"The boy goes nowhere! He has suffered enough growing up in a world of darkness where men fouler than the demons depicted in folklores threaten him for their own pleasure and greed."_

_"All the more reason to remove him from this world!" Yin protests again, "All his life he has known nothing but vengeance and hatred from his demonic brother, who only thirsts to raise him as his replacement should he fail to ascend the heavens and feast on the power of the Gods. If we continue to let him live, he will continue where his brother left off, slaying more lives until the world falls into an era where vengeance is the only way to cope with their problems!"_

_The leader muffles an angered growl as he slams the tome shut again and shoots up to his feet; his pure blue flame of concern turns to pure red, giving off a nerve-wracking sense of dread that details just how angered he was at Yin's words. _

_"You dare try to prove your brother is pure and innocent by throwing his most violent tendencies upon that poor child?" he exclaims furiously, "You are just as low and disgusting as he is if you think I am stupid enough to fall for your blind, uninvestigated assumptions!" _

_Yin shudders in fright as the leader rises to his feet, staring daggers into his heart, "Children are not like goldfish! They do not rely on one emotion to help them cope with the changes in the world! They rely on the experience of the adults to help them adapt to the reality of this world! And as long as I continue to breathe, I will see to it that this child is given the best possible life I can express; even if I have to throw you both back to the place where I found you so many years ago!"_

_Yin's eyes widen in bewildering shock over the leader's decision to spare Kai despite knowing the dangers of keeping a child raised by inexperienced parents. His blue flame continues to flux between light and darkness, once again giving off mixed senses of pity and foreboding. It was hard to tell what Yatto should be thinking of the elder; if he should be fearing for Kai's wellbeing, or trust him in the hands of someone he hardly knows and let him deal with the situation._

_Even more confusing is the sense that Yin is having problems trying to accept the harmonious union of humanity as a form of peace shared by all who walk and protect the earth. He wants to believe it to be true, but is fearful of turning against his own beliefs pertaining to what Deities or Gods consider true peace to be. And it seems the leader has tried everything he could psychologically think of to get him to understand how much they care about how humans have lived and strived for what future suits them best. But judging by the stress building up within his mighty heart over what he had just heard from Yin, it seems the attempt had become futile and he appears to be on the verge of giving up._

_The elder turns sharply and storms out of the room, leaving the leader to watch him leave before going back to reading his tome. Yatto looks between them before getting up and following after Yin. Even if this was some kind of nightmare he can't wake up from, he should still look after Kai just in case this really was for real._

_By the time they got to the room, Kai had accidentally rammed into Yin's knees, causing his distraught spirit to shoot to twice his size as he "calmly" snaps his head down to the innocent little boy staring back at him._

_Kai's spirit is ever the purest of white, always willing to learn, understand, and help those he sees. Because their grandparents disowned their parents for giving birth to Yatto, Kai has only known elders as kindhearted old people who always appreciate nothing more than a formal gesture from the younger crowd. Not once in his young life has he ever come across one so fragile and terrified of what constitutes evil that he would even consider a child a demon after his very life._

_After a long, painstaking minute, Kai sports a cheery smile, "Hey there, Oji-san! You wouldn't happen to have any large, red stickers around, would you? I wanna put them on that white coat with the black dots so they look like the one the man who's gonna teach me how to cheer to the world wears!"_

_Hearing Kai's request causes the darkness of Yin's distraught spirit to deepen with a sense of sheer hysteria striking Yatto's nerves as though he were sealed within an Iron Maiden._

_"The ones our leader wears?" Yin mutters, his body trembling in fright, "So I was right all along.... You are scheming to take us down and use our squad to throw the world into an era of vengeance!"_

_Yatto's eyes widen in horror as what little blue remained within Yin's darkened spirit is consumed by a blend of red. If that wasn't enough to make him fear more for Kai's wellbeing, the elder's tightened frown and sneering bravado was, sensing his will being controlled by these emotions as though they had a mind of their own._

_"I cannot allow it to manifest to fruition...." Yin seethed furiously, "He must be removed from this world in order to prevent such an era from reaching the corrupt minds of all who walk it!"_

_At that point Kai's innocent demeanor disintegrates into terror and confusion, backing away from Yin only to slip on a piece of clothing and crash into the leader's closet, yanking down one of his coats and, in a fit to get it off him, accidentally pulls it on._

_Seeing this innocent mistake inflates Yin's spiritual mass of irate hysteria to ten-times his own size, thinking Kai panicked over being found out and scrambled to get into uniform in a vain attempt to steal control of the squad._

_"Here is where your life will end, little demon!" he sneers as he draws his arm back and charges the terrified youngster, thoroughly intent on driving his brazenly justified fingers into his presumably corrupted heart._

_Yatto's eyes widen in sheer horror as he leaps towards Yin in a vain attempt to tackle him only to fly right through his body and land on the floor. Lifting his head, he sees the collapsed, terrified position of Kai sitting before him, then whips around to see Yin dangerously close to them, completely unfazed by the futile tackle of the ghost as he gathers the strength in his lone hand to thrust straight into his intended target._

_But just as he was about to execute his deadly blow, a hand grabs his elbow, almost snapping his shoulder in half as it stopped him in his tracks. All eyes turn to the back of the center of the room to see the mighty leader standing over Yin with his right hand grasped hard on the irate elder's elbow with an angered sneer on his face and an even larger, pure red flame that overshadows the dark purple aura surrounding the attacker._

_Seeing the leader only darkens the violent flux of emotions glowing around Yin, with a sense of confidence in his brazen mind that he will succeed in convincing the seemingly oblivious leader into believing his word over Kai's._

_"See now!" Yin preaches, pointing an accusing finger at Kai, "The little demon has taken advantage of your kindness by stealing your power and using it to bring about an era of vengeance and hatred to the world!"_

_Yatto snaps his head back over to Kai to see him trembling in sheer fright before scrambling to get out of the uwagi._

_"Oji-san!" he screams as he scrambles over and glomps the leader's leg in fright, "I'm sorry, Oji-san! I didn't want to steal your position! I just want to wear something that shows how much I like you!"_

_Yin's fluxing emotions explode even more as he turns his attention back to Kai, his confidence wavering to desperation as he tries to get the leader to side with his point of view, "You know nothing of what love truly is! You only pretended to know to fool our leader into nurturing you until you grow too strong for even the Gods to contain!"_

_He tears his elbow from the leader's grasp and picks up the wooden hanger torn from the closet, yanking the metal hook into a straight line, "We must do away with him if our future of bringing peace to this world, riddled with confusion and deception, is to be realized!"_

_Yin arches his hanger arm back, aiming the metal point towards Kai's trembling little body, and prepares to thrust it towards him when a hard hand slaps him across the face, forcing him to drop his hastily crafted weapon while his head nearly snaps off its neck from the impact._

_The leader retracts his hands, placing both on Kai's shoulders in a bid to ease his fear while glaring at Yin so infuriating he just about wet himself gazing into them. _

_"You dare strike the boy over an uneducated guess!?" he seethes, "You will never be worthy of this squad, or the heavens, if you continue to act out your fears upon those YOU think will be a threat to our future!" he thrusts his finger towards the door of the wardrobe room, "Return to your room and meditate for an hour! I want your selfishness contained by our next training session!"_

_Yin stares at him in utter shock while rubbing the sore on his cheek, his fluxing emotions shrinking back to its original, dark blue aura, before shooting a vengeful glare at Kai and storming out of the room. Yatto's furrowed eyebrows tighten as he looks back over to the leader, feeling his determination to protect Kai from anymore brash abuse from the elderly time bomb._

_Though he should be sticking around a little longer to see how Kai was fairing so far in this nightmare they were forced into, Yatto was curious about why Yin was so terrified of what the Gods think to even control the temptations of his own emotions._

_He finds the frail elder sitting in the center of the study, facing the scroll of Righteousness, one of the many signs he doesn't trust how the leader runs his squad. His legs were crossed, Indian-style, and his eyes were closed, appearing to be in deep meditation as par the leader's demands._

_But just as Yatto was about to assume that was all Yin was going to do, he heard something seeping through his closed mouth; snoring._

_Even his stamina is frail, falling asleep at the very minute he closes his eyes and stops thinking. And while he sleeps, his spirit once again fluxes with the light and dark contrast of fear, suggesting his dreams were the reasons he was having so much trouble trying to believe the serene words of his master. This made Yatto even more nervous about leaving Kai in the care of this squad. At any given moment, even when the leader's back isn't turned, Yin will find every possible opportunity to attack and kill Kai to appease whatever nightmares he thinks is the true sight of the Gods. _

_And then there's the monster man that killed him last night. If this Dancho is the same person, then it won't just be Yin Kai will have to watch out for. Yatto wishes there was some way he can get his tangibility back so he can not only turn the leader's lie into an actual promise, but also make sure Kai's life isn't cut before he reached his Seijin celebration. _

* * *

After what felt like minutes passing through the dark, intertwining tunnel, Hajime eventually sees an opening lit by more molten veins. Upon entering it, he finds the surface and swims towards it, being greeted by a stalactite-covered ceiling 6ft overhead. He eventually finds Yatto laying sideways on the rocky embankment, appearing to be unconscious.

"Oni-san...." Hajime mutters before swimming towards the ghost and climbing out, placing a hand on his shoulder. In reaction, Yatto stirs with a moan and pushes himself onto a propped position on his hands.

_Where are we...?_ he mutters, immediately acknowledging Hajime's presence. The Ouendan newcomer looks towards the water he came out of.

"It looks like we're in some kind of human burrow 10ft below the surface," he mutters as he stood up and looked towards the key around Yatto's neck, "Something must have caused the key to drag you down here."

Yatto stands up and clutches the key in his right hand, _But what...? The key only fits in the padlock used to seal the trunk the old man stole...._

Hajime looks towards an open cavern in front of the embankment they washed up in, then the key as its head began to glow.

"Maybe the key is some kind of compass guiding us to a safer route to the trunk," he said, "It probably needed some source of heat to activate it. And if we just follow it down these caverns, it might show us how to get to the trunk without being seen."

Yatto looks between Hajime and the key before sighing in hesitation, _At this point I can take anything that won't scare him into killing us and making sure we stay dead...._

The two head into the cavern, monitoring the glowing key while observing where they are and where to go.

End Notes:

1. Oni-san is a relatively cutesy word for "big brother", but it can also be used to address an unrelated male in almost the same way as "mister", or "sir".  
2. If you haven't already figured out the other meaning to "dancho" and why the late leader treated it like a curse, it will be explained later on.  
3. I revised this chapter again because I felt it didn't make as much sense as I once thought.


	12. Episode 12: Where Ambition Comes From

Episode 12: Where Ambition Comes From

Pain.

Nothing but pain all around.

Blinding pain that only leads those trapped within its tantalizing claws down a random path to death...or salvation....

Ryuta struggles to fight off such a blind pain as he lays sideways on a large, blunt boulder that chose to break his fall, and possibly his bones, rather than let the raging currents of the rapid river swallow him up and choke him with its rushing water.

As much as he'd want to kiss the boulder for prolonging the inevitable, he can't stay long and wait for his strong spirit to nullify the world of pain he's in. No human being in existence would be able to scan that far into the ravine to find a dying boy laying on the rocks, teetering between life and death, nor have the equipment to carefully extract him from the savage flowing river; Kai has already presumed him dead due to how little he focused on his spirit reading the day Yin burned the village to the ground; and because no one else was aware of him falling down the cliff, the rest of the squad thinks the sudden shrinkage of his spiritual fire indicates he came down with something and will continue on with their lives, waiting for him to recover.

Though he figured it was best that they don't think too much on the problem to keep Yin from targeting them next, he couldn't afford to continue laying on the boulder, expecting some miracle to come and lift him from the hellhole he had been thrown into. Mustering what little strength he could, Ryuta attempts to prop himself onto his hands only to feel one of them slip out from the wetness of the rocks, causing him to tumble painfully into the raging river below.

Too weak to hold his breath for more than a few seconds, Ryuta redirects the strength he mustered into pulling his head above the surface, struggling to grab air with the currents slapping at his face while fighting to pull him back under. The blinding pain grew stronger as he struggles to tread water while enduring the shoving force of the river. There was very little he could do at this point except stay afloat as long as he can and hope the currents carry him to somewhere dry and flat before the blinding pain lulls him to an eternal slumber.

Halfway through the currents his consciousness begins to fluctuate in and out. Half the time he felt like he was awake, while the others he was instinctually reminiscing on the earlier years of his childhood; life flashing before his eyes; obvious signs that his brain is scrambling to give him a reason to live; or perform it's last function before the jaws of defeat close around him.

He can barely remember the moments that made him happy, the times he spent learning from his grandfather and looking up to him as an icon for his future, playing with all sorts of spirits, animal and human, and learning what they know about life beyond living. But the most memorable is meeting a dead spirit and the miracle his grandfather was about to perform to help him reunite with his little brother....

* * *

_Today seemed like any normal day in Vermillion. Ryuta sits with his twin sister, Faiya as their grandmother cheerfully teaches them sign language. Though they appear to communicate just fine through the use of their spirits, their grandmother felt it was still vital that they at least learn the language for when they go into the city where spirit reading is looked upon as more fictional than fact._

_Just then, he hears his grandfather laughing as he walks into the family room, followed closely by two strangers they hadn't seen before._

_One is an elderly man, fit for his age, using a flagpole as his walking cane. He is dressed in a white, traditional, samurai-like outfit with red circles dotting both sides of his sleeves, and has dirty white hair along the back of his balding head, mustache and beard._

_The other is an older boy, wearing a smaller version of what the elder wore, only the uwagi is white with black dots, and the hakamana is black. He also looked unusually fit for a 10-year-old, and possesses a small, cross-shaped scar on his left cheek._

_From a spiritual sense, the two barely acknowledged anyone but the elder that invited them in, possibly because they were waiting for him to introduce them. Way too polite for his liking; not that he had anything against those kinds of people; it's at least better than encountering people who would rather be polite on their own terms and leisure._

_The invited elder takes a seat on one of the four cushions surrounding the table, tucking his legs beneath him to further show his politeness towards the occupants of the house; while the boy sits down on a spare cushion between the two, at first trying to sit on his knees to mimic his master before getting agitated by the discomfort and pulling his legs into an Indian-style cross._

_"Now then, down to business," he began as he rests the flagpole comfortably at his side, "I am curious to know how the citizens of this village know us so well after just one glance."_

_"It's quite simple, really," Ryuta's grandfather chuckles, not the slightest bit offended of how eager the elder wants to know about their secrets. He places one hand on his chest, and the other on his head, "It's a special technique only the most knowledgeable and understanding of all life on earth have the privilege of mastering; the art of Spirit Reading."_

_"Spirit Reading?" the elder ponders as he strokes his chest-long beard in interest._

_The village elder nods, "The eyes can only do so much when they are exposed to the world. But with the heart and mind cooperating in unison, a secret emotion, in the form of an intangible fire, can slowly be seen hidden within the heart of those who either hide their true feelings, or do not possess the capabilities to express them. The mind exposes that flame and sends signals to the heart, causing it to send sensations throughout the body based on what the mind has experienced over the years."_

_The cross-scarred boy huffed at the village elder's description, "That's complete nonsense. There's no way the heart and mind can be able to surpass what the eyes tell us!"_

_The elderly guest "pats" the boy on the head, "Now Kai. You must remember that as long as we are on this spiritual journey, we must not make hasty judgments on experiences we have yet to obtain."_

_The boy looks over at his superior; though he continues to believe his own thoughts, he doesn't object to his statements, suggesting he trusts his experiences wholeheartedly._

_Ryuta just stares at the boy in irritation. He obviously looks up to this elder for guidance and protection, but not to the point where he'd consider him a hero or father figure; suggesting there was someone else he considered a true icon to his life; one that's cared and nurtured him since the day he was born._

_His grandmother smiles as she stands up._

_"I'll go prepare some tea and snacks," she said while using sign language to communicate to Faiya, "You two go out and play for a while."_

_While Faiya went into her bedroom to find something to do, Ryuta walks over to the table and takes a seat on the last empty cushion, observing the newcomers sitting before them as his grandfather leans upon his end with a wider grin on his always cheerful face._

_"So then," he began, "What do you do for a living? I sense a lot of experience and joy in spreading around your encouraging spirit."_

_"What an interesting first guess," the elder chuckles, "I strive to bring peace and harmony to a land riddled with stress and anxiety, so I have formed a squad dedicated to finding a person in need if a good encouragement and help them achieve the goals they desire most."_

_"Then our ability will be a big help for you," Ryuta said, gaining a curious glance from the last elder that spoke as well as an aggravated glare from Kai, "Not only to figure out who really needs your help, but to better understand the balance of this world and what it takes to make everyone happy and safe."_

_Kai slams his hands on the table and jumps to his feet, "You shut up! Our master knows exactly what he's doing when he responds to people in need!"_

_Ryuta scrunches his nose a bit in defense, "I just wanted to help out. You don't have to-"_

_"You don't know a thing about what we do on a daily basis, so mind your own business!"_

_Ryuta frowns a bit at the large blaze of anger burning around Kai. He obviously respects the elder for what he does on a daily basis; almost to the point of misinterpreting a suggestion and calling it an insult to his profession without even waiting to hear what he had to say on the matter._

_The elder "pats" Kai on the head again, shoving him back onto the cushion, "The boy has a point, Kai. In the past, I have trusted word of mouth to gain the respect I need to become a reliable enforcer of peace, and because of that our squad has been perceived as naïve and gullible, responding to anyone that can come up with a good lie to gouge us into helping them at the expense of the person who truly needed our help." _

_He looks over to Kai, "If this ability really does exist, and we are able to master it, we will be able to finally prove to the world just how reliable we are and help them on the path to harmonious peace."_

_Kai stares at him in bewilderment before shooting his glare back at Ryuta, his bright red spirit expanding and darkening in more bias frustration, probably thinking he agreed with Ryuta's suggestion because he was young and too naïve to accept a harsh reality check. He would have to watch what he says around him to avoid provoking a fight that will only escalate in either him getting grounded for the rest of the day, or the two being sent out of the village with nothing to gain or accept._

_Unable to stand the brazen stench, Ryuta stands up and heads outside, deciding to get some fresh air and probably head off to an arcade to spend some of his weekly allowance._

_Upon shutting the door behind him, he noticed someone standing by the window, watching as the elders and the only male child left in the living room went into more conversation concerning the history of their village and the secrets they hold._

_He appeared to be a poor man, wearing a tattered Ouendan uniform and an eyepatch over his left eye, which was taken out by the vertical slash of a much larger, cross-shaped scar. But he doesn't appear to be alive due to the severe paleness of his skin and the lack of natural breathing, almost sounding like he was being constricted by a very tight corset._

_Ryuta was no stranger to the mystic mist surrounding their village. For as long as anyone can remember, the gates to the Spirit Realm spewed the mist to protect the villagers from evil spirits by solidifying their bodies so they don't attempt to possess or manipulate their children as they mature to knowledgeable adults. While a curse for evil spirits, it can also be a blessing to spirits who love their life too much to want to start a new one, or have died unexpectedly and refuse to leave their love ones to their own fates._

_Most earthbound spirits would be drawn to the village's generous hands on a whim. This one, despite hearing the calls every night since his death, has neglected to accept its embrace; judging by his focus mostly zeroing in on the boy inside, he may have fretted what would happen if he chose to leave him long enough to check it out._

_The man appears to have sensed someone watching him and snaps his head down to Ryuta, scrunching his eyebrows upwards in nervousness as he grabs his unbuttoned coat and pulls them together to hide his bare body; but Ryuta could tell whatever killed him must have broken through more than just his skin to cause him to pale this badly._

_"I've seen ghosts wander in here with worse wounds than what you got," he said rather abruptly, "You don't have to hide anything just because I'm a kid."_

_The ghost's furrowed eyebrows tighten nervously; obviously not used to kids Ryuta's age knowing this much about death and not be fazed by it._

_"Who are you talking to, Ryu-kun?" his grandmother asked as she steps outside to find the ghost standing next to him. Upon seeing him, the ghost became even more nervous as he slowly backs away, apparently thinking she was going to see him as a kidnapper and scream for help._

_The woman stares at him a while before sporting a cheerful smile, "Ah, I thought I sensed someone else out here. Why aren't you inside with the rest of them?"_

_The ghost slumps his shoulders as he eases the tension on his furrowed eyebrows before sitting down at the edge of the porch, letting go of his coat as it fell open, revealing the rectangular-shaped hole in his central body. Ryuta's grandmother furrowed her short, thin eyebrows; though still cheerful, she seems to sympathize with his dilemma._

_"Oh, I see. Even with the mist's materializing ability you're still nervous about letting them know you're alive." She plants her hands on her hips, frowning in determination, "Well then, we'll just have to fix that, won't we? Being the leaders of this village, we're quite wealthy and aren't afraid to share some of that with the rest of the world."_

_The ghost looks over to her in curiosity as she walks over and places a hand on his head, "Don't you worry, young man. What we have in store for you will ensure that your family and friends won't even know you were killed in the first place."_

_The ghost looks between her and Ryuta before sporting a bit of a smile, indicating his interest in this idea they have to get rid of some of the glaring signs of his death. _

* * *

Halfway through the manmade burrow, Hajime and Yatto notice a dim light ahead. Upon entering, they see walls of closets and shelves full of Ouendan uniforms ranging from child to adult, and even Kai's, sizes.

Hajime cringes slightly at the sight, "This...must be the hideout Ryuta mentioned earlier."

_I've been wondering where Kai was able to hide his clothing from the brothers...._ Yatto mutters. Hajime walks towards one of the uniforms tailoring to his size, taking one of the sleeves and rubbing its fabric, then picking up the white gloves and feeling its fabric as well.

"This feels like the fabric the Vermillion villagers wear over their clothes," he mutters as he takes the uniform and slips them on, buttoning the coat up before slipping the gloves on. Hajime flexes his joints and fingers in curiosity before performing a couple moves, throwing one punch out, then standing straight while pulling his hands behind them and thrusting them outward, hardly feeling the fabric snag or weigh down from the exertion.

"Wow!" he gasps as he looks at himself again, "This fabric is really light. I didn't even feel the back of the buttons press against my chest."

Hajime then looks towards the closet holding Kai's uniforms, noticing an officer's hat sitting on the shelf with its roof bulged and slightly torn. A gold pin hangs near the center above the cracked visor, shaped into the symbol representing Ryuta's squad.

Curious, he pulls his old, red bandana off and pulls down the hat, examining it before placing it on his head. Not a second after removing his hands, the hat falls over his eyes, exposing the top of his head through the hole. Hajime pulls it off and stares at it another second before tossing it back onto the shelf, turning to find Yatto only to notice an open trunk full of bandanas near the smaller, masculine closets.

Cocking his head to one side, Hajime heads over to the box and pulls one of the bandanas out, seeing the same symbol stamped in the center. Seeing as this was the only alternative to expressing his admiration to the squad he ties it around his forehead.

Before he had a chance to admire himself, however, he notices Yatto standing in front of another doorway, staring at the brightly glowing key in his hand.

_It's nearby...._ he mutters, _The study is somewhere beyond this tunnel...._

He then trails off into the tunnel, prompting Hajime to follow after him.

After walking for a couple of minutes, they come to a dead end with an opening near the roof emitting the late afternoon light. The two look to each other before Hajime jumps up, grabs the edge and pulls himself inside, seeing a wall of shelves full of books at the far end of the room.

"Is this the study...?" he mutters as he crawls through the narrow opening and stands up. Yatto appears beside him, staring at the wall that once contained the nine scrolls; now savagely reduced to four surrounding the single kanji "kami", delicately smeared in the very center of the wall.

Hajime looks at the increased worry in Yatto's face before looking up to the wall, seeing the smeared kanji in the center with the four scrolls flanking its every direction; justice on top; loyalty to the left; obedience to the right; and righteousness below, dangling over the trunk sitting on the very center of the stage. Upon closer inspection, he finds that the liquid used to paint the kanji was not ink.

"Is...is that...?" he mutters, backing away nervously.

_Pure human blood...._ Yatto mutters in frustration, _Shortly after he destroyed the village and took the trunk, he marched back to the dojo to show his master the damage he thought they had caused to Suzaku and his children.... But when he got to the study, he found him dead in his meditative state from the unbearable amount of deaths he sensed during the chain of explosions...._

He looked down at the cushion standing mere inches from the stage, dented inward from the amount of times it was sat on, _No one knew why he only trusted the original leader...he once said that the way he approached the brothers, tall, mighty, and ignorant of the religions being spread around Japan, was what led him to believe him to be some divine messenger of the original Gods, and thinks that by following him he will finally know their true calling, and do everything he can to bring the world back to accepting their divine judgments and placements.... _

His eyebrows furrow in distraught over having to remember that moment, _Seeing the old leader's death devastated him so badly it looked like all his emotions were pushing and shoving their way into his being, forcing him to decide who he should be clinging to for help.... Because of his fear of selfishness, he thought the original Gods were angered by humankind's foolishness in allowing the demons to consume their most prized messenger, and began turning to him as the last human being alive who can bring their awareness back to the world.... Pent up on this belief, he savagely torn down the scrolls and, with a single, quivering hand, tore out the leader's heart, using it as a paintbrush to smear 'kami' onto the center wall.... He then hung four of the most divine scrolls around the kanji as a vow to accept nothing but the judgment cast by the original Gods, and to use Suzaku's Wings to help them reunite the world under obedience and loyalty...._

"But why kami?" Hajime asked, "If he's trying to get the entire world to accept his nightmares as the true Gods of our universe, wouldn't it just create more confusion trying to figure out whether he wants the world to bow to the Shinto spirits or the Gods themselves?"

_Who knows...? Shinto literally means 'way of the God', and some resources claim that kami is mostly translated to 'god' rather than spirit; which is why they've been used in the translation of certain overseas religion, and why the old man chose it to symbolize the future he intends to bring to the world once he manages to get his hands on the Wings and throws them around his shoulders.... _

Hajime looks down to the trunk sitting below the scroll of righteousness, and the phoenix-shaped padlock that connects the lid to its bed, "Speaking of Wings...."

Yatto looks down at the trunk as well, _Yes...Suzaku's Wings.... When that old man took it out of the village and began devoting the rest of his life to using it for his own ambition of peace, I wanted to throw it out the moment I got it away from him just to relieve most of my frustration.... But now that I've had time to observe everyone's reactions after the village fire...the Wings just became another tool dragged through the dirt until it reeked of his biasness.... _

He presses his hands on top of the trunk, causing them to faze through as he digs around before grasping something feathery and pulling it out to reveal a cape similar to that worn on the shoulders of the villagers.

Hajime cocks an eyebrow as he observes the Wings in slight disappointment, "When I heard that the Wings of Suzaku were different from the capes we're wearing, I expected them to look different as well...."

_Uniqueness isn't always proven to the naked eye...._ Yatto mutters, _The only thing unique about this cape is its mixture of Fire Bird and Phoenix feathers; a sort of bargain for spirits who want to break away from the circle of life and live forever...._

He drapes the Wings around his shoulders, stretching one wing out and stoking it with his other hand, _While the villagers' wings only works to lift their spirits from their dead bodies and give them the ability to flex their tangibility and cast hallucinogenic fire, mixed with the feathers of the Phoenix, Suzaku's Wings have an added ability to lift the spirits of those who have little to no willpower to lift themselves out...._

Feeling the Wings resting on his shoulders, a warm, calming sensation washes over his constricted-feeling spirit, lulling him into a deep trance as he wraps more of it around his body.

"Oni-san?" Hajime mutters nervously.

_It's so warm...._ Yatto mutters, reaching up and tying the fiery-colored peacock feathers dangling near the collar area of the cape, _The warmest I felt since leaving the village.... It's almost as if—_

Suddenly, a surge of unbearable nausea shoots through his body, causing him to let go of the cape and fall to his hands and knees, dropping his head between his arms as he hurls a large puddle of blood. Hajime yelps in shock and stumbles away from him as he watches it spread around his trembling hands.

_B...blood...._ he gargles as his body trembles from the excruciating pain, _Is...is this…?_

Yatto suddenly goes into convulsions, keeping one hand slapped down while taking the other and grabbing his central body, struggling hard not to scream; only succeeding in straining a few agonizing groans as he hurls more blood and increases the puddle already forming around him. Using his lone hand, he unbuttons his tattered gakuran coat, pulling the flaps apart to reveal the hole in his body as veins reconnected, organs reappeared, and muscles and skin seal shut.

Both watch in shock as Yatto places his hand on his now whole skin, feeling everything he once lost when Dancho killed him, _My body...._

Immediately following the realization, Yatto suddenly yelps and yanks his other hand out of the puddle of blood, causing droplets to fly halfway across the room. Both gaze at his hand to find the rest of the blood painted on its palm; a few seconds pass and it doesn't seep through his intangible body and drop back onto the puddle it was lifted from.

Just as either were about to say something, the ghostly blue began to wash away from Yatto's body, revealing his full, natural human colors.

Hajime stares in shock as Yatto stood up and looks at every part of his body that his neck could allow.

"Oni-san...." he gasps, "Are you...?" Yatto observes himself some more before looking to the floor, concentrating on his tangibility.

Suddenly, he felt the floor's hardness melt into liquid, causing him to begin sinking into it. Hajime watches in more shock as Yatto eventually disappears into the floor, then trails back to the tunnel that led them to the study. He crawls through the gap under the stage and drops back down onto the rocky ground in time to see Yatto faze through the wall with an excited look on his still worried face.

"This is so cool!" he laughs, no longer sounding like he was standing over a mountain, "Not only am I solid again, I can control it whenever I want!"

"Wait until the rest of the squad find out a newcomer got to the Wings before they did," Hajime laughs in equal excitement, "Ryuta's jaw's gonna be flat on the floor once he sees you!"

Unfortunately, their victorious celebration is cut short as a foreboding sense of dread and distraught hits their hearts like an arrow through the back. Too excited to pay attention, they failed to realize the new, unofficial owner of the dojo has just made his way back with an even larger burst of victorious sensation flowing through his veins. He must have thought killing the "vessel of Doumeki Kai's demon brother" had earned enough trust from Suzaku to let him have access to the trunk.

Before Hajime could ask what to do, he felt a bit of slyness in Yatto's spirit and looks over to see him pull the key off his neck, "What're you doing?"

"He spent his more time praying for Suzaku to help him open the trunk than taking over the wellbeing of the surviving members of the squad; particularly Kai," Yatto snickers as he dangles the feather-shaped key below his grip, "So I'm going to do Suzaku the favor of answering the old man's prayer for him...."

He then fazes back into the wall, poking his hand through the large puddle of blood and dropping the key on top of it before sinking back down.

Not a moment after disappearing, Yin saunters into the study, becoming aware of the sudden change in its appearance; the puddle of blood and the fire-colored, feather-shaped key standing before the fire-shaped rosary beads strung around it. It didn't take long for him to put the two together.

His eyes widen as tears began to well from the bottom of his lids, "Oh, Great Suzaku.... At last, I have won your trust...." He begins to wander over to the key, reaching his free arm down and lifting the key gently from the puddle of blood, examining it as his hand trembles in delight of this glorious gift of acceptance.

"Oh, Great Suzaku...a poor soul.... How I wished I could have known about the villager's savageness sooner so your children would no longer suffer the cruelty of being harvested and severed of their Wings.... Then you would not have to challenge them to a Game of Knowledge and suffer the same fate as they...."

He lowers his knees upon the cushion sitting before the stage containing the trunk, "But fear no longer...for I will see to it that your children are well cared for...and your power used to bestow the rightfulness of the true Gods back into the feeble minds of humankind so they will know not to betray their divinity again...."

With that said, he slips the key into the padlock, turning it to the right until an audible click causes the phoenix-shaped pad to fall off the arch hanging off the trunk's ring. After gently removing the arch, Yin places his hands on top of the trunk, gently pushing it upward and gazing inside with high expectations.

"It will not be long now, dear Gods...." he mutters eagerly, "Soon, I shall be by your side...helping you reclaim all that once belonged to you and reinforcing loyalty and obedience to all who breathe your divine air.... No longer will you be forgotten by the foolishness Hope has plagued humankind into accepting as the peace they think is more promising than that you have bestowed upon them the day you placed them on this planet...."

But upon casting light into the box, what he found shocked him even more than when he stumbled upon the cultist town that possessed it. The trunk that was said to contain the severed Wings of Suzaku is completely bare; not a single feather or speck of blood dots the interior; just an empty box surrounded by red velvet cushions.

Yin's eyes nearly fall out of their sockets from the wideness of his eyelids as he staggers to his feet, trembling and stuttering in fear before slipping on the puddle of blood and falling flat on his rump. He stares at it, then the splattered drops off to the side; a traumatic scene enveloping within his distraught, self-proclaimed mind of Suzkau, wingless and terrified, staggering into the study with the rosary-beaded necklace and key in his quivering beak, preparing to put it down upon the cushion when a demonic shadow appears and savagely disembowels him before using the key to open the trunk and dashing off with his severed Wings in hand.

Trembling in terror over this uneducated presumption, Yin throws his head back and screams agonizingly at the top of his lungs.

Meanwhile, back in the cave, the two cause of the Wings disappearance were too busy busting a gut trying not to blow their cover with their loud laughing. After a moment, Hajime looks over to Yatto.

"S...seriously," he gasps between muffled laughs, "Do you re...really th-think it's a good idea to...to scare him like that...?"

"He said he wanted to open the trunk," Yatto snickers, "I'm just doing him a favor."

Just as they were recovering from their gut-busting laugh-fest, a voice echoes throughout the entire radius of the study.

_How sad...._ the mysteriously mighty voice said with a hint of disappointment, _To see what my attempt at bringing love and kindness to your stiffened heart has caused after being gone for so long...._

Hajime gulps his laughter as he looks over to Yatto, "O...okay.... I think you've scared him enough...."

Yatto immediately stops laughing and looks over to him, regaining his trademark worried expression, "I didn't say anything!"

Suddenly, a bold, mighty spirit looms behind the terrified elder, its focus zeroed in on him with a hint of pity in its strong flame. Both look at each other in shock before scrambling to their feet and jumping up to the ledge, propped on their elbows as they peek through the gap in the stage to see Yin's terrified face suddenly vanish to deep anguish, dropping his head down low enough to cast a shadow over his horrified eyes.

"So this is how you celebrate your victory in keeping my aide from reaching the helplessness of the Gods...?" he mutters, "To cast his voice upon us and watch us crumble in defeat...?"

A white bonfire stands behind him, a hint of light-blue outlining an even more elderly, yet unusually fit human sealed within.

_Is this how you interpret my presence after being gone for so long...? To call it a curse laid upon you and your Gods by your definition of Hope...?_

Yin frowns as he rises to his feet, "Not my Gods; the true Gods; of whom you have been receiving and casting judgment from since the day they descended from the heavens and begged for your help."

_I was never a messenger of the Gods...nor did they come to me in vain of their plight among what you call 'the feeble minds of humanity'.... You only believed so because, in the life you had been pushed into where metaphors and divine religions haunt your every move, I was the only one who chose to break you out of it and show you the alternatives to coping with the reality of evolution and nature.... But I failed to realize just how deep-seeded your trauma was; so fearful of being punished for the slightest bit of selfishness you even consider a smile an act of plead towards your 'true gods'.... _

Yin lowers his head more as his entire body trembles, trying to disbelieve everything he is hearing, _And now...twelve years after my death, you have degraded into a pitiful leader who thinks he is the last human being in existence to put things back where they belong and bring superiority back into a world you perceived to have fallen into confusion and chaos...becoming a savior so grand and selfless even your 'true gods' will feel compelled to bow before you and obey whatever you think will keep them strong and divine...._

"And what a great savior I will be!" Yin proclaims, lifting his head towards the "kami" kanji in the center wall, "For it is I who chose to obey the judgments of the true Gods; and it is I who will see to it that all witness their true powers and vow never to defy their grand vision of peace again!"

_And how will you accomplish that, dear pitiful Yin...? Will you finally leave the forest, after so many years of isolation, to stand before a city you haven't seen for so long and preach how angry the true Gods have been for being casted aside by their foolishness...? No one believed you when you first brought it to light, and they never will, knowing that such Gods no longer seek to endanger all life in the universe just to remind them who is in charge of their destiny and why...._

"They will when I announce the destruction of Hell and all the demons festering within!" Yin preaches, stabbing the squad flag before the blood-painted kanji, "I have seen the battles waged between heaven and hell; battles they are quickly losing because Pandora foolishly opened the box and unleashed the curses that are corrupting the feeble minds of humanity into breaking away from their divinity and forging a path they claim will bring the world to better peace!"

His eyes widen in deranged bravado as the mixture of emotions grew larger to express his insanity in his new quest for worldly redemption, "With the powers bestowed upon me by the true Gods, I will venture into the bowels of Hell and cast the light of heaven upon their cursed being, driving them into extinction and giving the true Gods the power they need to cleanse the mind of humanity and bring them back to worshiping them as they have always been before that foolish incident!"

Hajime and Yatto blink in bewilderment as they look to each other while Yin turns to the doorway of the study, "Then...and only then will the entire universe be grateful that I, their eternal savior, have put an end to this era of confusion, vengeance, and hatred! No being in existence will live without reflecting on the day they have been saved from their own foolishness by the one man, who knew and listened to everything the true Gods have casted upon him, and be blessed with the future they can finally call peace!"

The two watch the now fully deranged elder storm out of the study, thoroughly confident that he will succeed in this hopeless and suicidal plan, before looking back to each other in worry.

"Is he that desperate to make the world accept his vision of peace?" Hajime mutters worriedly, "Does he even know how to get to hell?"

"For all we know, he might consider a volcano a gateway to hell," Yatto mutters, "It's the darkest, hottest landscape on the planet."

"So what should we do?" Hajime asked, "Even if he did deserve it for trying to kill me and drown you out of Kai's memories, letting him go through with this suicidal plan without at least doing something to stop him won't make us any better than him or his brother."

Yatto grits his teeth a bit in frustration before sighing, "As much as I'd like to see him take his murderous brother and drown themselves in the lavas of Mt. Fuji, you do have a point. Even if Kai knew the old man mistook his affection as an act of loyalty to his idea of the Gods, he would have at least tried to warn him of his deranged idea before letting him walk to his own doom. We should be doing the same to try and instill some concern into his eternally distraught heart."

The two dropped back onto the rocky ground and head back into the tunnels of the cave.


	13. Episode 13: Aftermath of a Nightmare

Episode 13: Aftermath of a Traumatic Nightmare

Ryuta awoke to the feeling of soggy dry land supporting his upper body while his legs dangle from the less than rapid rivers that had been grateful enough to carry him here. Though he should be thankful to have survived this long, albeit going in and out of consciousness with the last thought being if his body will still remain afloat, he has a ways to go before he can consider himself completely out of danger. Aside from the poisonous stench of the sulfuric acid singing his nostrils with each labored breath, the trees making up most of the forest were stealing all of the sunlight for themselves and leaving him to battle the bitter cold of the river he had barely survived from.

Mustering what little strength he had left in his now hypothermic body, he staggers to his feet and glances around at his new surroundings, finding himself in the deepest, darkest parts of the forest. Many types of swamps and bogs carpet the area, making it somewhat unstable for most wildlife to want to walk through.

Ryuta immediately recognized this collection of bogs as one of the many areas strewn out by the maze-like tunnels of the large cavern he chose as the prime hideout for the squad. And judging from where he washed up, the cave can't be too far from here. Desperate to get out of the cold and find someplace to warm up and recover, he makes his way through the unstable environment, struggling to stay balanced with the ground quaking with each step.

But just as he was nearing the cavern, his suddenly trips on one of the currents bulging up from the ground, causing him to fall flat on his face and knock away the last of his strength while the impact agitates the quaking foundation even more. His body numb with hypothermia and pain, odds are high this could be his last destination before it becomes his grave.

Out of desperation, he tries to seek out spirits from the rest of the squad, but their obliviousness is still apparent due to Kai devastatingly wandering the streets, clouded by anxiety and frets of how they'll react once he tells them what happened earlier. His life flashes once again as the thought of never being able to survive starts to loom closer to reality.

* * *

_The following day, Kai and his elderly master sat in a quiet room of the Ippongi household, undergoing heavy mind training as par their instructions. Neither of them moved from that spot since they arrived early that morning; if it wasn't for the rest of the current family already possessing such an ability, chances were good they wouldn't remember the room was occupied._

_Ryuta watched TV while Faiya played with an old wind up teacup doll. Placing a small bouncing ball on its arms, the toy springs to life, scurrying along the short table until it stopped at the edge, causing the ball to roll off and bounce into the room the two visitors were holed up in._

_Sensing an increase of anxiousness from the only occupant of the table, Ryuta turns his head over to see her staring straight into the room while shaking in fright of their mean-looking faces; the youngest visibly showing impatience of having to do nothing but meditate all day._

_These were all too familiar signs of her painfully timid personality. Being born deaf and in a family that knows what she wants through her spirit, she hasn't yet realized that she doesn't have to hear her own voice in order to grab the attention of others. Because of this, she had become very fearful of going into the city outside the forest; afraid that strangers would take advantage of her lack of vocal skills to snatch her up and sell her to a whore house without so much as a peep towards anyone with a fully functional ear._

_Ryuta has been trying to get Faiya to come out of her shell more often to strangers, but with the unstableness of one of the two guests, he wasn't too sure it would be such a good idea to encourage her to go in and get her ball. The elder appeared to be tolerant of someone interrupting him in order to retrieve something, but Kai was another matter. _

_Always the stereotypical, brazen child that acts before he thinks, Kai still refuses to believe Ryuta is a good soul who wants to help out anyone he considers a friendly sight; seeming to take his etiquettes a little too seriously he sees his master as the only person in existence who knows exactly what he's doing when it comes to deciding the best course of action for their future, and misinterprets everyone else's opinion an insult to his knowledge._

_With a spirit that high-strung, Ryuta felt encouraging Faiya to get her ball would only result in a verbal and spiritual outburst that would send her back into her timid shell before he even realizes why she chose to interrupt their meditation. Not wanting to let that scenario come to light, Ryuta gets up and heads for the room, stopping a moment to let his timid little sister know he was going to bite the bullet for her. _

_Faiya leans against the side of the door as she watches her elder brother meagerly walk in, pick up the ball and walk back over to her while giving a nonchalant glance towards the two._

_Kai isn't even trying to focus on his heart and mind. Despite seeing real spirits, both human and animal, he still believes no human being on the planet could be able to understand one's true emotion by simply focusing on his heart and mind; and thinks his elderly master was only complying with the elder's instructions because he didn't want to disappoint the children living in the house. Though confident that this was merely a waste of time, he doesn't complain and does exactly as he's told, showing just how devoted he is to staying in this old cheer squad._

_Hopefully, when his master proves this ability was no fairytale, he'll actually take it seriously and realize every mistake he's made in the past since their arrival yesterday; perhaps when they work things out they can become friends and let him observe the daily business of an ancient cheerleader. Ryuta always wanted to do more with his ability than just stare at a person and point out their real emotions. And hearing what the elder leader does to bring peace and harmony to the world, he's been eager to want to learn more about this profession so, when he's old enough to take care of himself, he can either start his own squad or join this one._

_Faiya waits gingerly for Ryuta to come back, reaching out to reclaim her bouncing ball only to have him grab her shoulder and push her back with a light squeak escaping her startled mouth. She stares confusingly at him to see the sternness of his face as he places the hand holding the ball on his side, giving off a sense that informed her of her inappropriateness to the guests staying in their abode._

_Unfortunately, her startled squeak was distracting enough to snap Kai's eyes open to see what was going on; finding Ryuta pushing her onto one of the cushions near her teacup doll and walking off towards her room, tossing the ball in his hand while she furrows her eyebrows in embarrassment and places her folded arms on the wooden table with her chin tucked between them._

_Kai shook furiously at the sight before him, having not paid attention to the goings on outside the room until now, he sees her embarrassed disposition as a sign of helplessness over being bullied by her domineering brother._

_She should be calling or running to her grandparents by now to complain about Ryuta's bullying and make them put him in his place. But she continues to sit there, staring at her teacup doll in boredom as he continues to make his way towards her room, probably to find some other stuff to steal now that he's gotten the best of her._

_Such a helpless soul, timid and shy; he must enjoy taking advantage of his status as the grandson of the village elder to push her around and take whatever he wants without even bothering to ask permission; while making her look like the troublemaker whenever she goes crying to her grandparents for help. Them being so dead set on believing that such a thing as reading spirits even exists, it wouldn't be hard for him to come up with an innocent lie to redirect their punishments upon her and isolate her from ever having any freedom within the family._

_Snarling infuriatingly, Kai charges straight into the family room; stopping just behind Ryuta as he throttles his fists in anger._

_"Give it back to her!" he demands. Ryuta stops and meagerly turns his head over to him, fully aware of the bright red fire surrounding his body; indicating his naivety when acting out what he saw at the moment he was distracted from wondering what his master was thinking._

_"This is for her own good," he said while still tossing the ball in his hand, "So just go back to your room and continue meditating like Oji-chan said." He then continues walking towards Faiya's room, leaving Kai to watch him leave while the bright red fire surrounding him grows to twice his size while slowly darkening in self-proclaimed biasness. _

_Thoroughly irate at what he thinks is sheer confidence that he would naively do as told, Kai charges Ryuta and puts his foot hard into his back, pinning him to the floor while barely managing to squeeze a frustrated yelp out his lungs._

_"Just because your grandparents are too naïve and soft-hearted to put you in your place doesn't mean everyone will do the same whenever you decide to take something from someone else!" Kai seethed before reaching down and tearing the bouncing ball from Ryuta's hand, "And starting today, I'm going to make sure everyone sees you for the snot-nosed brat that you are!" _

_Ryuta turns his head over to Kai, one eye squeezed shut from the sandwiching pain, "What're you talking about?"_

_"Don't even try hitting me with your 'innocent excuses'! I saw you knock her to the ground and make off with HER ball!" Kai shoots a glance over to Faiya, who's staring at him, trembling in fright of what she was seeing, "You didn't even look like you cared that you hurt her feelings leaving her to sulk at the thought of being punished if she tried running to your grandparents for help!"_

_He then shoots his glare back to Ryuta, his angered flame darkening even more, "But this time her voice is going to be heard and believed by your naïve grandparents! And once she tells them what you've been doing to her in the past, they'll be so angry at how you've been lying to them all those years they won't even consider you a member of their family!" _

_"Who's been lying to us for so many years now?" asked a cheery voice from the kitchen. Kai snaps his head over to see the grandmother standing before the cloth-covered doorframes, arms crossed and giving a somewhat curious look._

_"I was going to get Faiya a wooden block to use on her teacup doll," Ryuta protests, "The ball she was using kept falling off the tray, and I didn't-" He gets cut off by Kai increasing the pressure of his foot against his back, causing him to nearly cry in pain._

_"You expect me to believe you were trying to do her a favor when I didn't even hear you say anything to her earlier!?" Kai exclaims, "What's the matter!? Can't come up with a better excuse to get me into trouble along with your terrified sister!? Afraid my confessions will finally get them to realize their stupidity and make them listen to her more than you!? Maybe now you'll know what it's like to be in her place, trying to explain yourself when your grandparents don't even give your confessions two seconds before siding with hers!"_

_"Why don't you take a good look at what you're trying to accomplish, Mr. Selflessness!?" Ryuta retorts, "See for yourself if she even understands what you're doing to me and why you think I deserve it!"_

_Kai snaps his head back over to where Faiya is, expecting to find her still sitting at the table, feeling relieved that her tormenting days with his brother were finally over. Instead, he finds her hiding behind her grandmother's legs, hugging the left tightly while whimpering hysterically at the large burst of blood-red fire surrounding his body._

_"Oi, children these days can never sit down long enough to understand what's really going on," the grandmother groans, still cheerful given her stressful situation, before planting her fists on her side, "The reason he didn't tell Fai-chan anything is because she is born deaf. Doctors believe it was because of genetic problems caused by being developed in the same womb."_

_"That still doesn't explain why he didn't tell her instead of just shoving her to the floor and taking her stuff!" Kai complains, "I've seen deaf people use those hand swinging things to communicate with each other!"_

_"He did not have to," said a different, much older voice. Everyone turns to the room Kai ran out of to see his elderly master walk out, "The flow of his spirit is all he needs to inform her of what she should be expecting."_

_Kai blinks in disbelief, "Unbelievable! Master, you didn't seriously buy into their nonsense, did you!?"_

_"It is not nonsense when you listen and follow the instructions to the very letter," the elder states, "While meditating, I saw things that my aging eyes have never seen before, emotions of different colors flowing around me, many trying to consume me while others bestow lightheartedness and courage."_

_He then shoots a stern glare towards Kai, "And do not think I am saying this just to appease the children living in this house. I have seen how inattentive you were when you sat in that room, pretending to meditate when you were really burning with impatience and frustration on how much longer we were planning on staying here."_

_Kai blinks again in more disbelief at how easily the elder figured out everything that was going through his mind. Perhaps this ability really does exist._

_The elder turns to the grandmother and bows, "I apologize for his brashness earlier. If it is okay with you, I would much prefer to handle the rest of this training back at home."_

_"Well...." the grandmother hums, "I suppose it would be best. That way no one gets hurt, and the mastering can go a lot quicker."_

_Kai turns to the elder in exasperation, "But Master, we can't go home now! We still have other places to go and learn from! You said yourself that your time here is almost up! We shouldn't waste it sitting around and meditating!"_

_"It is for the best, Kai," the elder says, rather sternly, "I have already made life difficult for the brothers by inviting them to join me in my quest to bring peace and harmony to the world, and because of that they have begun fearing the sight of evolution to the point where they are afraid to leave the forest even at my discretion. I will not allow the same to happen to you; even though your brother did well to raise you into becoming a good soul that knows right from wrong, your mind is still immature and will soak in anything that will help you fend for yourself in the coming future."_

_He thrusts his finger towards Ryuta, his frown tightening in bitter frustration, "Just now, you have begun judging children by the way they look, and reacted as such without even considering the possibilities of their behavior; worrying signs that you are becoming just like the brothers, seeing anything that irritates you as a threat to our future and dealing with it through brute force! It will not be long before you are just like them, holed up in the forest because you can no longer deal with the changes in the world!" _

_Kai's eyes widen at the thought of being a terrified, God obsessed old man, spending the rest of his life in the forest viciously mulling around wanting to save humankind either through control and genocide, or making them pledge loyalty to his nightmares. Shaken by the thought, he stumbles off Ryuta and backs out of the door, leaving the elder to sigh in distraught before following out after him._

_Once both were out the door, Ryuta gets up and dusts himself off, looking towards the guest room to find the ghost from yesterday sitting partway inside, seeming to have overheard and saw everything that happened with a not-so-happy, yet familiar flow of emotions; suggesting he's been dead long enough to acknowledge his uselessness in ensuring Kai's safety._

_"Does he always act like this?" Ryuta asked as he walks over to the ghost._

_"It's like the elder said," the ghost mutters distraughtly, "the longer he hangs out with those brothers, the more he starts to take on their personality until he grows up to be a mixture of both. And even with his health and awareness, he can only do so much to keep Kai from reaching that point."_

_"Well, I have just the thing to help you get back into the game and help your brother cope with the things around him!" Ryuta's grandfather laughs as he trots into the house with an even more cheerful smile on his face, crouching down next to the ghost, "I just finished sending the money order off to get it; a genuine, state of the art cape that will do more than bring back your tangibility."_

_The ghost looks over to him curiously as he places a hand on his shoulder, "This custom-made edition of Suzaku's Wings has a mixture of phoenix feathers sowed in, giving the wearer the ability to lift spirits of other dead people at will. So not only will you be able to create hallucinogenic fire and flex your tangibility at will, you can now raise the dead and let them wander free until they find what they're looking for."_

_The ghost furrows his eyebrows nervously, "You're really giving me something that unique? Even if you have figured me out, how can you be sure you can trust me with it?"_

_The elder chuckles as he furrows his eyebrows slightly, "Oh, I wouldn't exactly call it unique; it's more of an equivalency for accepting a life eternal. Even the lazy Tanuki has to pull his weight around and spread luck to all the shops that bear his statue; you will no doubt become the phoenix equivalent to the Angel of Death, a good soul killed for no reason will compel you to lift it from the body and allow it to roam free until it is ready to leave this world to start life anew."_

_He then shakes the ghost's shoulder, "Besides, didn't you say your brother presumed you went missing five years ago? Don't you think you should at least show him how much you've changed since then? Thai boxing isn't the only way you can get him to continue looking up to you for guidance, you know."_

_The ghost continues to look at him, still seeming unsure of such a grand offer, but thinking about how happy Kai will be at seeing his long lost brother after so long seemed to ease the nervousness dwelling within his non-existent heart. _

* * *

Hajime and Yatto arrive back at the wardrobe room after a long run, but as Yatto was about to decide which tunnel they would head down, Hajime suddenly grabs his arm.

"Wait, wait!" he said, almost getting dragged off his feet before the now tangible spirit comes to a stop and looks over to him, "We can't go to the surface yet!"

Yatto looks over to Hajime, "Why not?"

Hajime lets go and backs up a bit, presenting his hand to Yatto's current appearance, "Well...look at you! You look like a poor boy with an expensive-looking cape made of feathers!"

"Yeah, what about it? Mind you, I wasn't exactly born in the most lavish sector of Tokyo."

"I know, I know! I just think you might need a bit of a makeover before we flag down the other members and warn them about what Yin's up to; just in case Kai happens to be with them when we do!"

Yatto's eyebrows furrow in hesitation, "Hajime, we don't-!"

Hajime grabs his collar and begins unbuttoning him, "If you don't start squirming, it won't take long to get you fixed up."

After a few minutes, Yatto's torn Ouendan uniform is piled off to the side and a fresh, new uniform is strapped onto him, complete with the armband worn by Ryuta and Kai.

Hajime backs up a bit and observes Yatto who also looks at himself, "There! Now you look like you actually changed over the past decade!" he then heads towards one of the tunnels, "Come on; let's hurry before they go into the city!" Yatto watches him rush off before quickly following after him.

They eventually find themselves at the entrance to a series of swamps and bogs after running around the twists and turns of the cavern burrows. The stench more than signals they had taken a wrong turn.

"Ugh!" Hajime grunts as a nearby geyser shoots up a cloud of stingy odor, "Maybe we should've taken the tunnel to the right of the wardrobe cavern...?"

Yatto frowns as he looks out towards the darker area of the bog, "Wait.... There's someone out there. The spirit's weak, and in pain."

Hajime looks over to Yatto before following his gaze, finding a shadow collapsed in a wide area of mud-like terrain. He squints his eyes a bit before snapping them back open in shock, "It's Ryuta!"

Panic-stricken, he rushes out onto the bog only to create a ripple that caused the ground to shake, almost sending him towards one of the acidic swamps before Yatto grabs and hauls him back into the cavern entrance.

"The entire terrain appears to be carpeted with quake bogs," Yatto said as Hajime collapsed on his hands and knees while struggling to calm his startled heart, "It looks too unstable to even walk on."

He appears at Ryuta's side, crouching down for a closer look, noticing him sopping wet and shivering violently. His furrowed eyebrows tighten as he hauls the unconscious Ouendan onto his back and stumbles through the quaking bog back over to the cave. Now free of most of the burdens of strenuous pain, carrying a medium-built body seems like nothing more than carrying a pillow full of feathers.

Once reunited, the two head back into the cavern to check the severity of Ryuta's condition and figure out what to do from there.

* * *

Hiroshi Mizutani arrives at the door of his new homeroom class deep within the interior of the Kiyotatsu All Girls Academy.

As opposed to American Middle and High Schools where the students move rooms at the sound of the bell, in Japan, it is the teachers who do the moving while the students remain in their room until lunch or gym. As the new teacher of the homeroom, it is Hiroshi's job to make sure attendance is in check and announcements have been made, as well as initiating today's outdoor activities.

Unfortunately, being one of the few male teachers to work in an all girl school, respect from his new students is anything but a walk in the park (to say the least).

As he proudly walks into the classroom and writes his name down, he turns to the class only to find that his feminine young grasshoppers were more of the chirping type than that of a well respected group of learners.

Laughter; gossip; girly talk; this was nothing more than an act of disrespect towards their future third parent. And Hiroshi is not going to have any of it in his introduction.

"BE QUIET!!!" he shouts, thrusting his verbal dagger through the thick block of conversation created by the girls. The moment of silence, however, did not result in a warm glance, nor a loyal response.

"Shut up, old man!" they shout, thrusting an even sharper dagger straight into Hiroshi's mighty heart, the coldness of it's metal strong enough to freeze his hot-blood.

Slapped with the tag "ossan" and heartbroken by such a harsh betrayal, Hiroshi makes a beeline towards the only salvation that can rekindle his hot-blooded fire, "O...O...!"

_**OUENDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!!!**_

Sitting at the front of the class is Sayaka Amemiya, the leader of the female division; notebook on desk and looking prepared to take notes. Her followers, Aoi Kanda and Anna Lindhurst, sat behind her, the former holding a pencil between her nose and lips out of boredom while the lone American sat in the back, waving her arm in the air as if trying to ask a question.

_Atsuki kodou no hate ni  
__(At the extreme hot beating of the heart)_

Hiroshi swallows his distraught as he turns to the class, throwing a fist in the air while spilling tears of encouragement, "Come on, girls! Let's run a marathon!"

Once again, the girls respond with scorn and annoyance, "Seriously, old man, shut up!"

_Aa, nani ga matteirundarou  
__(What is waiting there for us?)_

Just as Hiroshi was about to be poisoned by their distasteful glare, the Cheer Girls pop up behind him, shouting "GO!" while Sayaka thrusts one of her pompom hands towards him. Like a flash of lightning, Hiroshi bounces back to determination, eyes burning wildly as he grabs his towel and rushes out onto the road, hoping his hot-bloodedness will lure the girls out of the cramped confines of their homeroom and join in.

"_Kono shunkan dake wa dare ni mo yuzurenai" to  
__("I won't give this moment to anyone")  
__Sono hitomi no iro kawatte yuku no wo mita yo  
__(I saw the color changing in those eyes)  
__Shoi konjyatta mono ga nande are bara shitari shitari  
(I won't tell secrets I had from the past)  
__Suzushige na kao de hokori wo harai mata tobou  
__(Wipe away the dust from that face and fly again)_

Within seconds of his solo marathon, he hears a stampede coming towards him, and by the time he turns his head to see what it was, his entire homeroom class comes charging at him; seemingly enthralled by his will to push them through their courses. The sheer number of the students and their speed were too much for him to even keep up as he is swoonfully swept away into their feminine flood.

_Doushaburi no ame daite  
__(In heavily pouring rain) _

"That was a nice run!" the girls shout with excitement as they all crowd around and hug Hiroshi.

"You did great, everyone!" Hiroshi cries with joy after finally winning the trust of his new students.

_Kimi to nara yorokonde nureyou  
__(As long as I'm with you, I shall gladly be drenching wet)_

His next class took a different turn from the marathon he ran earlier.

"Swimming time, everyone!" he shouts with joy, which is further fueled by the encouraging shout of the Cheer Girls.

_Kikoeru yo, atsuki kodou no arashi (Hurricane)  
__(I can hear it, the storm of this hot beating of my heart)  
__Dakishitmeta toki boku wa furuetanda (sottoi)  
__(When we embraced each other, I trembled (lightly))_

Before swimming, Hiroshi puts the girls through some stretching exercises to help their joints move better in water. Most of the girls were too disinterested in their teacher's lack of enthusiasm to want to join in. Determined to get them in the mood, Hiroshi tears off his gym clothes, exposing his very tight, red swim brief, throws on his swimming goggles and begins a more vigorous stretching exercise. Mesmerized by his new appearance, the rest of the class stops what they were doing and eagerly joins in.

_Hanarete mo kono mune ni itsudenemo todoiteru (I can feel!)  
__(Even when we're not together, this heart is always sending it)  
__Kaze wa yure, daichi yure, inochi yo yurashite hibiku  
__(The wind blows, the earth shakes, my life is shaking and echoing)_

Charged and ready to go, Hiroshi steps up to the starting pillar and dives towards the pool, "Here I go!"

But upon landing in the pool, he suddenly comes up, splashing about in a fit to say afloat.

"GYAAA!! MY FOOT SLIPPED!!" he gargled before going down.

Horrified, two of the students leapt into the pool after him, "SENSEI!!"

After pulling him out of the pool and pumping the water out of his chest, Hiroshi glomps the students in relief, "Sorry! And thanks!"

Once fully recovered, Hiroshi carries out another task for his students to follow, "Let's make this room sparkly clean!"

_Kondo au toki ni wa mayowanai de te to te wo tsunagou  
__(Next time we meet, don't hesitate, let's hold together hand in hand)_

Already enthused by his hot-blooded charisma, he and the students were already cleaning the floors, chalkboard, and desks with gusto. Hiroshi couldn't help by cry with joy at the hard work he and the students were putting in making the room shiny and clean.

_Nari yamanai atsuki kodou no hate ni (baby)  
__(At its extreme, my hot beating heart keeps going on)  
__Bokutachi wa nani ka mitsukerundarou (kitto!)  
__(And we shall find what we're looking for (definitely))  
__Kyoufu wo shittemo sono ashi wo tomenaide (onegai!)  
__(Even when we know it's frightening, don't stop moving those legs (Please))  
__Sono itami wo boku ga keshite shimaou ima  
__(I will make your pains disappear (right now))_

Once the chalkboard has been wiped clean, Hiroshi looks over to his students, "Did we get everything cleaned?"

He gasps in shock as the homeroom is so clean it actually sparkles in the afternoon sunlight.

"Is the room sparkly enough?" asked the students.

"As is the sparkles in your hearts!" Hiroshi cries as he embraces the students in another joyous hug.

_Kikoeru yo, atsuki kodou no arashi (Hurricane)  
__Dakishitmeta toki boku wa furuetanda (sottoi)  
__Hanarete mo kono mune ni itsudenemo todoiteru (I can feel!)  
__Kaze wa yure, daichi yure, inochi yo yurashite hibiku_

And so ends another school year, but for the girls in Hiroshi Mitzutani's homeroom, it will be their last. But as they bid farewell to their other teachers, they make a surprise appearance before their hot-blooded gym teacher.

"Sensei!" they sing out, grabbing his attention as he turns to see his most cherished students decked out in their graduation uniforms and bearing their diplomas in excitement, "We'll always remember you for the rest of our lives!"

They crowd around him for one final hug as he spills tears of joy and gratitude towards their loving gesture, "You guys are my...treasure!!"

Satisfied with another victorious performance the Cheer Girls trot out of the academy, preparing to search for the next target to cheer for when they saw a large, black figure stumbling down the quiet streets of Tokyo, trembling in distraught as confusing emotions flashed through his head, each one seeming to eat away at his confidence.

The Girls look to each other in worry before running over to the person and stopping in front of him, their eyes widening when they realized who it was. Kai stares horrifically at the Cheer Girls, tears streaming down his face as he grits his teeth in devastation. Aoi cocks her head to the side while folding her hands behind her back and straightening them out.

"Hey...what's the matter, Kai-kun?" she asked, rather curiously, "You're still not upset that-"

"It's over...." Kai suddenly mutters, causing the Girls to frown in confusion, "It's all over.... He killed him.... He killed Ryuta...."

The Girls blink in shock as they look to each other in bewilderment and confusion.


	14. Episode 14: Regret and Denial

Episode 14: Regret and Denial

At the heart of Yuhi Park near the outskirts of Tokyo, the surviving Ouendan sat beneath the shadows of the cherry blossoms as their leaves begin to flutter away in the wake of the oncoming summer months.

After encountering Kai drifting through city in distraught and hearing what happened to Ryuta, everyone appeared to be down in the dumps, wondering what's going to happen now that they've lost one of their most respected leaders.

Suddenly, Anna shows up with four boxes of pizza and a picnic basket full of American and Japanese food.

"Who's hungry!" she calls out cheerfully.

Upon smelling the food and hearing her spunky voice, the rest of the squad, sans Kai, immediately jumped to their feet and ran over to Anna.

"Anna-chan! What took you so long!?" Aoi complained, "I'm starving!"

"I know; I'm sorry," Anna giggles, "It's such a hassle trying to get down here when you have new tips to pass onto a new member of the Diva unit."

Sayaka took the basket and starts setting up while Aoi, Saito, and Suzuki took the pizzas and opened them up, taking a moment to sniff the ingredients inside.

"So yummy!" Aoi drools, "This'll be the best picnic ever!"

Kai's body begins to tremble at the sensation of undeterred cheerfulness suddenly flooding the entire park.

"So true!" Sayaka said, "I just wish Ippongi-san could join us!"

Veins started to pop up around Kai's forehead as Aoi sighs in disappointment, "I know! The one time we have to spend together and neither of them can make it out here! Even when Ryu-kun had gotten off work after a long day, he still musters the strength to come down here and play with us!"

At that point, one of the veins swelled, causing Kai to spring to his feet and turn to face the rest of the squad, "What is the matter with all of you!? Did you not hear a single word I said earlier!? Your leader is dead; killed by the very man you were all going to exert your respect and concern to because I stupidly believed the reason he was so antisocial was because no one gave him the love and kindness he deserved!"

The entire picnic falls silent as everyone turns a startled glance towards their Fierce Chief, "You should be thinking about what's going to happen to the rest of the squad, not sitting here, stuffing your face and talking like he hit his head on a rock and passed out for a couple days!"

"We did hear you, Doumeki-san," Sayaka said, rather baffled by the outburst, "But if Ippongi-san really is dead, we would know about it."

"You would know!?" Kai exclaims, causing the squad to flinch from his burst of anger, "How!? By relying on your spirit reading to tell you!? If so, you would have realized you couldn't sense him and accepted what I had just said!"

Aoi furrows her eyebrows in confusion, "But we can sense him, Kai-kun; he's-"

"Then why aren't you all out looking for him!?" Kai interrupts, his anger blowing to three times his normal size, "Don't you care that he's out there, dying and wondering why no one's come to rescue him by now!? Or have you fallen so deep into Yin's excuse for a future that you considered him obsolete and left him there to die a tormented death!?"

"I understand you're upset, Doumeki-san," Sayaka said reasonably, "But if you'd take a moment to-"

"No! You DON'T understand! You never did! I saw what I saw, and told you what I saw; but you don't want to accept it because you're supposed to be strong and powerful, able to stare death in the face and not be fazed by its sinister smirk! Admitting one of you has fallen victim to something he can't get out of will only convince the world that you're just as helpless as they are and scramble to find someone who will do a much better job of relieving their problems with nothing more than a raised finger! Someone...like...Yin...."

Kai trembles in fright as he looks at the black sleeves of his gakuran uniform, "No matter how long he's been in the forest...ignorant of the changes in the world, he still knows that humankind will eventually run out of heroes to call to and step out to rid the world of all their problems.... The world will be so grateful to his intervention that they will believe everything he says...even pledge their loyalties to the gods he think have been shunned by their 'feebleness' of using hope and encouragement to get what they want.... We'll be nothing more than heathens thrown into exile and forgotten by the very people who once relied on us to pull them out of the pit of despair.... Or worse be casted into oblivion for making them fight their own problems when a god can so easily solve it with a simple point of the finger...or even a simple thought...spending the rest of our lives running from scorners while begging and pleading to Yin to let us back into the future of peace he has blessed for them...."

The squad watches in concern as he marches back into the city, not giving them any attention whatsoever. He starts to wonder why Ryuta even bothered forming the squad if all his members were going to do is believe everything their hearts and minds tell them instead of looking into the matter and realizing the grim future they were about to face.

In fact, he started to regret ever thinking Ryuta even cared about the methods of the original squad when he only took its basis and threw his own garnishes to make it look new and more promising. All it's ever done is wash away the good of their reputation and make people think they only showed up to yell and push them around at their own leisure, then back away and force them to deal with the rest of the situation on their own.

* * *

_Many years have passed since the tragedy that lost Kai his most respected guardian, and the village where they gained what could be the most spectacular ability known to man._

_Kai has grown into a fierce cheerleader, donning the black, white dotted uniform that once cuddled Yin's body, altered slightly to fit around his large, beefy body._

_Since the death of their master, Yin has been neglecting to teach him the performance they once did for the city, choosing to sit before the trunk he stole from Vermillion and worship it in the blind hope that the lock will flutter off the hook and allow him access inside. Kai didn't want to bother him for tutoring anyway, knowing any wrong steps would result with a flag upon his cranium._

_Instead, he opt to practice the squad's many fierce performances on his own, crafting his own training zone and setting up boards similar to how his brother would use crowds of punching bags to practice dodging, countering, and attacking his opponents in future Mixed Martial Arts Tournaments._

_He hasn't seen his brother since the day of the horrific accident, and as he starts to learn more about the harsh reality of the world, he begins to believe that his brother may never return like he had hoped as a child. The only thing that kept him from completely righting him off as forever dead is the spirit that is still lingering around, waiting for the day he will return to him and rekindle their brotherly bond. Until then Kai continues to fight and live for the sake of the world, intent on showing his brother that their separation has not been in vain. _

* * *

_After miles of swimming and long treks across foreign civilization, Kai manages to reach the barren deserts of Egypt, in an undisclosed area far from all known human eyes._

_Since the death of the old leader, Yin's control over the squad restricted him from leaving the confines of Japan, fearing if he was let loose into the world he would find out what really happened to his past and reawaken the vengeance he "struggled" to suppress. Now nearing his adulthood, he no longer had authority over where he goes on a daily basis, leaving Kai free to travel the world to his heart's content._

_He has been to many places over the years, taking in the sights and culture of many non-Japanese citizens. Egypt is just another sight he intends to explore and acquaint with if he has any chance of gaining the reliability of the world on the day he takes over ownership of the squad._

_Halfway through the dry desert, Kai notices a mansion made of sand stone wavering in the distance. He would like to think this was a mirage created to fool lost and parched victims into believing they were approaching salvation. Though he would be tempted to ignore it and continue on his way, as he moves closer to the horizon, the size of the mansion grows larger, identifying it as a real place._

_There was no security or archeologists around to guard the area, but he can hear voices echoing from inside. Curious, Kai moves closer to the entrance and camps out at the side, peeking in to see, what appears to be, a very chubby Cleopatra, the last Pharaoh of Egypt, sitting upon the throne, munching on some eerily modern day snacks._

_A messenger had arrived a few seconds before Kai showed up, presenting a scroll towards her._

_"Queen Cleopatra!" he said while kneeling before her, "A letter from General Antony of Rome."_

_Kai frowns in bewilderment. Cleopatra? Antony of Rome? Did he collapse from dehydration and dream he was in some twisted version of early BC Rome?_

_Cleopatra claps the grease off her hands as she takes the scroll and unrolls it, revealing a love letter from her newest soul mate._

_"My beloved Cleo," it said, "I wish to see you. I will arrive in ten days. Antony of Rome."_

_Cleopatra gulps as her eyes trail from the scroll to her bulging waistline; a miracle her thin outfit hasn't snapped from such a wide mass of flesh._

_"I can't meet him with such an ugly figure...!" she mutters in distraught, "I'll be cast aside...!"_

_She quickly pulls up a magazine she read earlier, investigating a mystical pyramid that could help her zap off the weight._

_"This'll do!" she said with confidence, "Diet through pyramid power."_

_She then turns and points a demanding finger towards her servants, "And I want it built by the tenth day!"_

_Her adversary panics, "That'll be impossible, Queen Cleopatra!"_

_Cleopatra towers over her quivering adversary, "What did you say...?" she then throws a hard, chubby slap across his face, "I'm not requesting anything from you!"_

_Her mood darkens to frustration, "I have no choice but to call them!"_

_She draws in a very large mouth full of air before hollering at the top of her lungs._

_**OUENDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!!!**_

_Kai frowns in sheer bewilderment. He had just arrived in Egypt and they've already begun begging for encouragement by screaming at the top of their lungs? He has yet to practice his performance to Egyptian music, and trying at their time of need would ruin the squad's reputation more than Yin has already accomplished alone._

_As he was about to relent and appear before them to explain what was going on, a flash of light appears behind him, followed by an unusual gust of wind nearly messing the spikiness of his hair. Kai whips around to see a giant, blue vortex swirling behind him while unusually modern J-Pop starts to play throughout the already bewildering setting of olden Egypt._

_Just as mysterious as the vortex and music appeared, three shadows shot out of it, wasting no time in addressing the situation by confronting Cleopatra and shouting "osu" ten times louder than the wind blowing out of where they came from._

_Kai stares at the new arrivals in utter shock. All three wore long-tailed school uniforms, considered a more modern outfit for male cheerleaders to wear, and carried no fans, indicating they were going to use their bare, glove worn hands to perform. The one in the center stood out from the two with his red armband, baring a more original and modernized symbol for Ouendan, seeming to assert himself as the leader of this squad._

_"Hurry...." Cleopatra whimpers, "I have to get thin...!"_

_The trio throw their fists towards Cleopatra and shout "osu" again, shooting a fiery line out of their hands that jab into her back, causing her horrified heart to explode with determination as she leaps off the throne and rushes outside to command her servants into building the pyramid she desires._

_Kai watches in horror at how quickly and easily the new arrivals have managed to gain her trust and encourage her to go ahead with her plans. Giving little to no notice to the bewildering, old fashion Ouendan, the trio head out of the mansion and stood behind Cleopatra, using a more modern and slower cheerleader performance to keep her and her servants' spirits high._

_Cleopatra stood in the background, watching in contemplation as her servants struggle to drag one of the blocks towards the location she charted for her pyramid to be constructed. Because there was no machines back in the early years of Rome, many pyramids had to be built by hand; several to be exact. And even they couldn't move as fast as a working crane, especially when stairs are involved._

_Though troubled by the impending situation, the younger trio doesn't speed up their performance, insistent on sticking with their slow, bold movements. At this rate, they won't even finish the first row of bricks by the tenth day._

_However, halfway through their performance, Cleopatra suddenly gets the oomph to shout at her servants to put some effort into their work, causing them to start streaking down the paths they create with their dragging bricks, many more enthused by her encouraging demands than frightened about the consequences for wasting her time._

_Suddenly the new Ouendan stop performing and back away, causing the encouraging magic to drain out of the servants as they stopped what they were doing and began complaining about how overwhelming this whole ordeal was._

_"They won't move!" Cleopatra's subject complains, causing her to get riled up over this sudden lack of cooperation._

_Equally riled up was Kai, who saw them stop in their tracks and step back with their arms crossed and doing nothing to resolve this situation. They were called out to help Cleopatra and all they do is perform for a few minutes, then step back and leave her to fight her own problems? Not only are they disrespecting the hard work his master has put into making the squad reliable, they're also ruining the structure of performance; having the followers move with the leader rather than stay in the background and beat their Taiko drums to help him stay in rhythm._

_Kai intends to put an end to their snide excuse for a squad, but as he was preparing to intervene, Cleopatra suddenly steps forward and begins tangoing around the pyramid in a graceful dance that invigorated her people into getting off their duffs and going back to work. Though sensing her trust pushing the younger squad up the ranks, it still didn't make Kai anymore confident that they would respectfully fulfill that title of "world-saving cheer squad" the way they were treating those who call for them._

_Cleopatra flops back onto her throne, once again panicked by her next situation, "Hurry! We have to build it!"_

_Another prime example of their incompetence to prove themselves as an all-around caring squad; while the original squad would continue sticking to their side and performing until they achieve their goals, this newer squad bows out after one performance and stand in the background, brazenly thinking one cheer is enough to keep her motivated throughout the rest of her journey to achievement._

_If they weren't going to put the effort into making their clients happy whenever they're called out to cheer them on, they shouldn't even be in this business at all. Kai prepares to step in and take over the job they chose to abandon when the hot-blooded Ouendan appear behind her throne again, shouting "osu" and stringing another line of encouragement into her extinguishing fire, causing her to regain her courage and rush back out to give her servants more commands._

_With the first tier complete, most of the servants focused on carving their story into the pyramid. Cleopatra stands in the background, watching with contemplation at the lack of enthusiasm presented by the artists tasked with this part of her demands. Unable to stand it, she throws an encouraging fit, causing them to speed up their chiseling with as much enthusiasm as their ruling Pharaoh._

_Once again, the servants stopped and collapsed to the sand, complaining and bickering about the tormenting heat of the sun._

_"They won't move!" Cleopatra's subject exasperates._

_"Again!?" Cleopatra roars. She once again dances around the pyramid, chanting for rain._

_The heavens answered with a downpour of cold rain falling upon the sweat-soaked shoulders of the servants. Enthralled by the sight, they spring to their feet, shouting for joy._

_"It's a blessed rain!"_

_Cleopatra observes her pyramid again, seeing it barely reaching second tier due to the servants struggling to pull the large blocks up the steps they spend nearly half a day setting up. She panics again._

_"Hurry! We have to build it!"_

_Kai could no longer stand the sight before him. No matter how much they were appreciating what they got when they called out Ouendan, the fact that the trio is stopping at their own leisure to watch the distressed struggle to gain control of their problems only proves just how desperate they are to get outside help, winding up with nonchalant schoolboys who eventually get bored of appeasing to the distressed and walk away without even listening to their pleas for help. He intends to put a stop to it before that moment arrives._

_But as he was marching over to Cleopatra and prepareing to assert his will to take over, the bold Ouendan spring up before her and shout "osu" again, tossing another kindle of encouragement into her soul and giving her the determination she needs to shout her commands at the servants and make them speed up the process._

_There was a sudden yell of hysteria coming from the River Nile. One of the subjects notices several of the servants trapped on a lone island while high, dangerously rapid waters block their access towards the rest of dry land._

_"The River Nile has flooded!" he shouts in panic._

_Once again Cleopatra rushes to the rescue, performing another prayer dance that caused the sun to come out of the rainclouds she conjured up earlier and dry the river to the point of safe passage._

_"The sun came out!" they cry for joy as they rush back to continue their work on the pyramid._

_After many days of construction, the pyramid is finally complete. Cleopatra stands before it with her arms spread wide._

_"Almighty Pyramid!" she calls out, "Restore beauty to me once more!"_

_Complying with her payers, the tip of the pyramid explodes with electrifying energy, burning away the awful fat and reducing her to a thin, beautiful Pharaoh. And just in time to as Antony makes a surprising appearance, finding the striking beauty that is his love to be._

_"Cleopatra!" he swoons._

_"Antony," Cleopatra response, lustily accepting his quick embrace and shower of kisses upon her cheek._

* * *

_The nonchalant squad head back to the vortex they were pulled into, feeling confident of their recent success, albeit still bewildered by the event that dropped them into the middle of Egypt. Nevertheless, to be called this far back in time, or what passes for it, proves just how much reliability they have spread throughout the world._

_But alas, there is always someone who will throw a wrench in the works. And standing behind them, throttling his fans to the point of bending them, is Kai; thoroughly irate at everything he had seen since they first showed up in Egypt._

_Even if they knew they were being pulled into some dream, the way they handled it was nowhere near what a real squad would do, which is they stay by the person's side to the very end, not perform when they want and stay in the background to see just how far the person will go before begging for their help again._

_Kai can sense high familiarity to this sort of phenomenon, suggesting they had been toying with the world's emotions for quite some time. If the old leader was still alive, he would make sure a squad like this never gets the gumption to pull this horrendous stunt again. However, as the last person who understands where he comes from, nothing is going to stop him from tearing down this maniacal squad and ensuring they never humiliate the profession again._

_He immediately charges towards them, thoroughly intent on drilling this accusation into their malicious skulls. But just as quickly as he had thought his plan through, the trio suddenly jumps out of the way without even acknowledging his presence, sending him flying through the vortex and into the shallow stream separating parts of Yuhi Park from the rest of Tokyo city._

_The trio appeared from the vortex a few seconds before it shrank out of existence, watching as Kai staggers to his feet, finding himself thigh-deep in the stream. All three had their arms crossed as if asserting authority over his fumbling disposition._

_Kai snarls in anger as he storms out of the stream, nearly towering over the trio enough to make them turn their heads up to get a good look at his irate mug._

_"You all think this is a joke to you, don't you!?" he seethes, hardly gaining wavering grimaces from the two boys following alongside the one with the armband, "Going around, acting like everything's a big laugh, then acting on it by performing to their distress until you grow bored and stand in background waiting for them to come begging to you for more help!" _

_Feeling the increasing sense of dark fury burning around Kai, the two followers attempt to confront him only to be stopped by their leader sticking his arm out towards the blond Mohawk one._

_"That's just plain typical of you; disregarding any goodness in a person by harping on what irritates you most," he said, making direct eye contact at Kai without the slightest sign of backing down._

_Kai's frown tightens in more bewilderment than frustration before noticing the shades of red shining along the outer areas of his large topknot, immediately recognizing him as the troublemaking, ill-etiquette brat from what is now called Vermillion Ruins._

_This unexpected reunion was anything but happy as Kai's irritated spirit nearly explodes to three times his physical size, grabbing the topknot leader by the neck and thrusting him against the wall of the small, blue bus parked a few feet from the stream they stood before._

_"Kisama!" he snarls, "First you claim my master isn't doing a good enough job of tailoring to the worlds needs, now you're trying to humiliate his profession by performing three instead of one and only doing so when you want to!?"_

_"First off, three-per-performance shows the world that we accept any aide that is willing to help the distressed achieve the goals they desire," Ryuta retorts, "And the only reason we stop between performances is because there are certain situations the client wants to get through on their own, and only come back when we sense they need another helping hand. If we had let you deal with Cleopatra instead of taking on her call, she would have been too overwhelmed by your nonstop fierceness to keep going; even your master would have appreciated the effort we put into keeping this profession alive, and perhaps bank off some of it to help you be of better use to his cause."_

_Kai throttles his empty fist in anger as Ryuta reaches up and effortlessly yanks the grappled hand off his throat, "Besides, you, of all people, should've realized by now that with the death of your master, and one of your supposed 'guardians' proclaiming himself leader out of distraught over what he thinks is the cause of his demise, the squad you grew to know as the grand supporter of the world will eventually crumble into becoming a bunch of crusaders thinking of nothing but bringing about what he thinks is the true and only way of the Gods. So you can either go back to crawling before his feet, waiting for the real Gods to show up and tell you what they think the world should look like, or you can continue achieving the goals your master set for the squad, and stop him from trying to stir up something that will only create more chaos and confusion than what he's been born to put up with over the years."_

_Kai continues to throttle in frustration before turning sharply and marching back into the city, too flustered by everything he's heard to decide whether he should tear the squad to shreds, or believe they know what they're doing and focus on what's best for the future of the world._

* * *

_Hey! Hey, you! Are you going to wake up anytime soon!?_

The aggravated, child-like voice that spoke laid a bunch of hard knuckles on Ryuta's forehead; indications that his other senses are slowly beginning to return.

_Hey! I said wake-up! I'm not going to let you embarrass Aniki again!_

There were several more knuckles to the forehead before Ryuta mustered the strength to shake away whoever was knocking him. It was then that every other part of his body started to flush away the numbness that consumed him back at the swamp; feeling a warm blanket cover him from the neck down while his back and head rest against the soft surface of a futon and pillow.

Bewildered, he musters the strength to open his eyes enough to find himself in what appears to be someone's attic, partially surrounded by a bunch of boxes and other knick-knacks normally seen in a one space room, and a window leaking in the early morning sunlight.

"It's about time you woke up!" complained the child-like voice. Ryuta turns his eyes towards the source to see an irate 8-year-old stooping over him, frowning ever so furiously with his arms crossed.

His hair is dark brown and messy, wearing dog-patterned pajamas; an indication he had just been dragged out of bed not too long ago.

"Do you have any idea how embarrassed you made Aniki coming up here to feed you every morning, noon, and night!? I don't know how long he's had to put up with feeding you like a baby, but I won't stand to let it happen again; so you better be awake when he gets up here, or I'll keep knocking you!"

The moment he finished scolding Ryuta, a large pillow falls on top of his head, shoving him into a crouched position with his head between his knees while squeezing out a startled yelp.

"I thought Dad told you not to go into the attic without either of our supervision!" scolds the cause of the pillow drop. The boy pulls it off and shoots a glance upwards to see another boy, decades older than him, stooping over him with his arms crossed and even more irate frown on his face.

Unlike the tyke that bothered Ryuta, the older brother is already dressed in his school uniform, with the exception of his coat due to the warm, late spring weather outside. His black hair is less messy, but just as thick, and he wore oval-shaped, strapless glasses.

"But I've seen how you keep coming up here to feed him every morning, noon, and night! And you said babies are the only humans who need to be handfed!" the boy complains, "He's an adult now; he should be taking care of himself instead of forcing you to do it for him!"

"He's also in a great deal of pain!" the older adolescent snaps back, "And you're making it worse by knocking him in the forehead!" he points towards the stairs leading back into the upper floor of the house, "Now go downstairs and get ready for school!"

"But Aniki!" the boy whines, "We have a vehicle that can get us to school in no time; an awesome bus that no other kid in our class has ever ridden in! We can take a little longer getting ready and watch our favorite shows until it's time to go!"

The adolescent stood straight and looked away in thought, "Oh, I guess we can take as much time as we need getting ready. It still means I have to rush you to school...." He then shoots another glare at his little brother, planting his fists on his side, "Only this time I'm not stopping by the nearest kiosk when you or Aimay start whining for food!"

The boy visibly panics at the realization before scrambling towards the stairs and climbing out of the attic.

Ryuta watches the scenario in frustration. He doesn't know where he is, or what happened after his unfortunate pass out at the bog forest. All he remembers, aside from the flashing reminisce of his childhood, is washing down the river, then crawling through the unstable landscape of the swamp; all the while trying to claw at whatever concerned souls were directed at him. Now fully conscious and observing his surroundings, he starts to get a sense that the eldest boy who chased off his brother had known him for some time, and is obviously responsible for finding and bringing him back here to recover.

He quickly disregards the curiosity upon sensing a high rate of hysteria and desperation burning off Yin's shoulders; a grim sign he must have realized killing him wasn't enough to gain Suzaku's trust and is now appearing to be wandering the forest in search of something.

Now aware that he didn't completely eradicate all of Vermillion Village, he is most likely leading himself to believe they were scheming to continue "harvesting" Suzaku's children, and is on a rampage to find and destroy them while making his way back to the Spirit Gates in a last ditch effort to gain his trust and allow him access to the Wings. If he busts the gates open and finds it full of the same spirits he perceived to be the demons responsible for infesting the once divine greatness of the village, he will eradicate them all until the only thing remaining are the Fire Birds matching Suzaku's appearance.

Gathering the strength he lost in the amount of time he spent unconscious in this dysfunctional family, Ryuta throws the blanket off him and flops onto his stomach, struggling to push himself to his hands and knees.

"Where do you think you're going?" the older boy asked, not taking his eyes off the stairs. The Bold Leader doesn't answer; whether he knew him from somewhere or not, he wasn't going to afford spending another minute explaining himself to someone who is just going to get in his way.

And it seems the boy was aware of what he was up to, because the moment he pushes himself onto his hands, he hears a rain of metal hit the floor behind him. By the time he turned around to see what it was, a black, red bordered (sans the white area at the top spanning the size of an average human's neck) blanket body slams him back on the futon.

Ryuta grunts from the unusual weight of the blanket, trying to push it off only to stretch the fabric surrounding the cotton center. The number 150lb is seen as he tries kicking it upwards only to get the same result.

"Wh-what is this!?" he grunts, still struggling to kick and shove the blanket off him to no avail.

"As much as I'd want to sit on you all day, I have more important things to take care of," the boy said, stooping over Ryuta with his arms crossed, "So I'm going to let the Restraining Blanket take care of it for me."

Ryuta grit his teeth in overwhelming bewilderment as he stares at the blanket holding him down, "By filling three of the corners with lead chains differing in size and weight, I've made it so that you don't get crushed, but at the same time keep you restrained to the floor."

Ryuta's frown tightens in more frustration as he struggles to push the blankets off him, once again only succeeding in jerking the fabric around, "A person your size and stature should have no problems pushing that blanket off. And since you can't even pull your arms free, that proves you still have a long way to go before you're well enough to continue with your little rescue mission."

Ryuta shoots a glare towards the boy as he turns and heads down the ladder of the attic, trying to figure out who he is and why he was so obsessed with keeping him here.


	15. Episode 15: Trauma within a Fierce Heart

Episode 15: The Trauma within the Fierce Heart

"I'm worried about Doumeki-san," Sayaka mutters as she, Aoi and Anna saunter down the sidewalk of the quiet side of town, "When he stormed off into the city, his confidence dropped to near non-existence. Something must have happened during Ippongi-san's accident that made him fear the fate of his own future."

"He's probably still trying to get over the realization of the way Yin mistook his kindness and love," Anna said, "Considering he spent most of his life thinking the reason Yin was so obsessed with the 'real gods' was because he grew up in a life of obedience and divine loyalty; I'd be in morbid devastation too if I found out I threw away half my childhood for someone I thought was a lost soul only to find out he was too deep-seeded to even consider my affections nothing more than pleads for guidance from his views of a higher authority."

As they were nearing an elementary school, they sensed a strong, fierce spirit lingering within the playground in front of the building. Curious, the Girls head towards the source, seeing a chubby-looking boy with slightly bushy hair standing near the edge of the dodge ball court, fidgeting slightly as he looks towards the door, seeming to be waiting for someone to come out.

As they were pondering what the boy was waiting for, a voice shouts out from the distance, "Aniki!"

Turning their heads to the caller, an eight-year-old boy with more bushy, dark brown hair, wearing a red t-shirt and black jeans runs past them and towards the left side of the entrance where they find Hajime heading in their direction, with a slight change in his appearance.

Upon seeing his rapid approach, Hajime stops and watches him pump his fists in excitement, "I'm so glad you're here, Aniki! Maybe you can help Torao-kun bulk up and talk to the idol!"

"Idol?" Hajime asks.

As if answering the question, a cute girl with pigtails, wearing a pink jacket over her short-skirted dress, emerges from the school building with her friend, another girl with black hair, wearing large, round glasses and a green sweater over her dress.

"That's Wakana-chan!" Hajime's brother points out, "Everyone calls her the school idol because she looks so cute!"

As Wakana and her friend head past the dodge ball court, the chubby boy musters the courage to call out to them, "Wakana-chan!"

The two stop upon seeing him approach them, gripping his backpack harder as he trembles a bit nervously, "Ah...um...." he then frowns a bit in determination, "I wanna hang out with you!"

Both girls stare at him, rather nervous of his wavering approach and boisterous question. Before a decision could be made, another voice calls out to them.

"Hold it right there!"

Everyone turns to see three more boys approach the questionable situation; the one who spoke appears to be the leader; his hair brown and spiky like fire, wearing a red scarf, yellow sweater with a red stripe near the center of the midsection and sleeves, and black jeans. He holds a dodge ball in his hand as he looks at Torao challengingly.

"Ryu Ryuji!" Torao shouts in frustration.

Ryu throws a snide finger towards the wavering boy, "Wakana-chan is a million years out of your league!" he then spins the dodge ball on his index finger, "But.... If you beat me I'll respect you!"

Wakana looks like she was about to faint as she tosses her hand towards the two's tantalizing size-up (Much to the dismay of her four-eyed friend), "Simply because I'm cute...!"

Torao glares at Ryu, "You...." then eyes Wakana, "Um...." before reality suddenly struck him like a jolt of lightning, "Oh! This is bad!"

Facing an uncertain future, fraught between winning, or losing and watching in humiliation as Ryu walks away with the girl he had a crush on, Torao could only do one thing to resolve the situation....

_**OUENDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!!!**_

Hajime's brother looks between Torao's distraught disposition and him before grabbing his arm and tugging him towards the situation, "Come on, Aniki! You gotta help him!"

Hajime tries to root himself to the ground, "W-wait a minute, Jago! I'm not-!"

Fortunately, the situation was taken over by a different trio of Ouendan who popped up from the other side of the two opposing boys as J-Pop sounds from a boom box hidden somewhere near the court; the Fierce Squad.

Led by Kai Doumeki with followers Saito and Suzuki flanking his sides, all three confront Torao and shout "osu", causing his wavering demeanor to transform into blazing determination, taking position at one end of the dodge ball court while awaiting the first throw.

The remaining members looked on in bewilderment; finding it highly unusual that Kai would even think about getting involved in something he once considered a waste of his time. He probably got so stressed with everything that's happened around him, two apparent deaths followed by a squad so dead set on believing what their spirit reading tells them that they don't even bother listening to his accusations, or going out to see for themselves if Ryuta is truly alive, that he's begun to take matters into his own hands out of desperation to save their reputation from being sucked down the drain once Yin finds the courage to go back into the modernized city and force its people to view him as their eternal savior.

Ryu snickers as he takes his position on the adjacent end of the dodge ball court, bouncing up and down as he prepare to throw his less than deadly weapon at his wavering opponent, "Prepare yourself!"

He throws the ball towards Torao, who narrowly catches it before it hits him in the face, then tries to throw it back at Ryu only to see him catch it with little to no problem and throw it back at him with twice the force.

Jostled by the impact, but determined to get through this nightmare he was pulled into, Torao makes another rash throw at Ryu, only to miss horribly and send the dodge ball flying over the fence and into the house next to it. The sound of hardened ceramic shattering sends an aggravated Shizuyama rushing over to the campus, holding a dodge ball in one hand and a broken vase in another.

"Who's responsible for this!?" he screams.

Jago stares at the fiasco occurring before him, then looks to the Fierce Squad who are doing nothing but stand in the background and watch Torao quake in fear of the irate elder fishing for culprits.

Apathy, it seems, isn't the only reason they were shoving Torao down the wrong path to victory; those mean looks, that harsh performance, the aggressive shouting. They weren't helping Torao as much as they were scaring him with their demanding stomps and punches.

Aggravated by this, Jago grabs Hajime's arm and begins tugging him towards the trio.

"Aniki, stop them!" he complains, "They're being mean to Torao!"

Hajime doesn't relent and pulls his arm out of Jago's grip, "Now wait a minute, Jago. Take another look at your friend there before acting on your own brash decisions!"

Jago jitters with frustration at Hajime's apparent lack of sympathy before looking back over to Torao, seeing him shakily raise his hand, bravely taking the blame for his own accident and mentally bracing himself for whatever punishment Shizuyama will lay upon him for breaking one of his prized masterpieces.

Instead, the elderly craftsman simmers down and pats the truthful boy on the head, "What an honest boy!"

Jago stares at the resolution in shock as Torao's once terrified expression softens to confidence, rubbing his nose in victory over his escape from parental scolding. But the celebration was short-lived as Wakana suddenly shrieks in fright.

"He's going to use his special attack!" she calls out.

Seeing their assistance needed again, the Fierce Squad shout at Torao again, sending another dose of courage into his heart and giving him the strength he needs to catch Ryu's oncoming dodge ball and throw it at him with enough gusto to not only bash him upside the face, but also send the ball back to him for a second attack.

Geared up and raring to win the second round, Torao arches his arm back as he initiates his special attack, "Tiger...!" and throws it hard towards Ryu, "SMASH!!!"

Caught off guard by the unusual speed and burning aura of the oncoming dodge ball, Ryu is knocked clear off the court, surrendering the round to Torao, and earning an interested gasp from Wakana.

"Torao-kun, you're so cool!" she swoons.

As the two opponents and the Fierce Squad gear up for another round of dodge and throw, Hajime notices Yatto sitting on the wall separating the school from Shizuayama's house, washed over by the ghostly blue he once called an annoying curse; only Suzaku's Wings retained their true color, yet are still unseen by everyone else.

Thinking about how long they've been separated, it wasn't surprising that Yatto would be this nervous about the reunion; whether Kai will be spiritually aware enough to recognize him as the older brother he thought he had lost for so long, or if he's slipped back into judging the first thing that bothers him and disregard everything else as an excuse to throw kindle into the already burning fire; and why the rest of the squad didn't catch sight of him the moment Kai showed up.

Hajime walks over to Yatto while his little brother and the Girls remain focused on the dodge ball competition and Kai's performance, "Are you okay, Oni-san?"

_Something doesn't feel right...._ Yatto mutters, his voice once again echoing like the wind, _Kai's encouragement...he's not giving the boy any confidence to win this game.... It's like he's afraid the moment he gains his trust, someone else is going to come along and rip it out of him...._

Hajime frowns a bit in confusion before looking back over to Kai as he and the two followers stand in the background and watch the next scenario unfold. Shockingly enough, there wasn't a single hint of confidence pouring out of his soul, just encouragement and hope; barely enough to keep Torao on his feet, but not enough to help him feel good about his decision to take on this daunting challenge.

Ryu catches Torao's oncoming dodge ball and rears it behind him, charging up for his own special attack, "Dragon...!" and throwing it at twice the speed at his tenacious opponent, "LIGHTNING!!!"

Though powerful and surging with lightning, Torao is unfazed and effortlessly catches the ball before it hit any part of his body, "Alright!"

Seeing this act of bravery, Wakana's eyes turn to hearts as she places her hands together to the shocked chagrin of her friend, "I think I'm in love!"

After a couple more rounds and performances, Torao finally gathered the strength he needed to hit Ryu clear out of the park. Enthralled by the competition, Wakana approaches him, spotting her usual cute face.

"Torao-kun, you're so cool," she says before pecking a kiss on his cheek, blowing enough steam from his nose to send him flying out of school and towards his home with heart-throbbing joy.

But victory is bitter sweet among the Fierce Squad. Kai exerted no confidence throughout the performance; and the followers were doing nothing but mimic his movement, exerting the same, unconfident spirit with no underlying reason other than obeying whatever spiritual commands their performance leader gives them.

Having seen two "deaths" in one day may have damaged Kai's own confidence to a point where he fears just responding to a cry for help will end in failure. And judging by how desperate he wants to get away from Saito and Suzuki the moment his needs are done, the rest of the squad's refusal to believe his word over their spiritual senses did little to convince him of the truth behind what he saw throughout the day.

Hajime furrows his eyebrows in worry as he watches the Fierce Chief turn to leave without giving any attention to the rest of the students leaving school before Jago suddenly screeches to a halt in front of him, forcing him to stop and stare at him as he pumps his arms in excitement.

"Wow! You guys are great!" he shouts, "Aniki's told us so much about you after he came home the other night, but I didn't understand until now!"

At first Kai didn't know what he was talking about until he realized Hajime was the only city-born boy to ever venture this far into the squad's background. His eyes widen in horror, not sensing any remorse or awareness of what had happened earlier. He fret how Jago will react if he told him what happened and why he couldn't save him when he was standing right in front of him at the moment of his predicament.

Clouded with distraught over what to say, he could almost sense Jago's cheerfulness turn to confusion while his face shifts to fright, his body slowly trembling in agony, _Aniki...? Where is he!? Tell me he's okay!_

Kai's own shaking increases as he continues to fret this pitiful sight. All this outcome, the death of Hajime and Ryuta, the eventual crumbling of the squad, the future Yin has envisioned; all of it was coming to light simply because he chose to go shopping in the city during the day rather than earlier or later when there wasn't much activity going on.

He can almost sense Yin catching onto this mistake and appearing beside Jago, tall and proud like the flag he practically glued to his hand, staring down at Kai with those godly eyes and confident demeanor that everything has gone as he had expected.

_Tell him, Doumeki Kai.... _the voice echoes in his mind,_ Tell him his brother is gone.... Tell him you couldn't save him because the bowels of Hell would pull you down with him if you so much as set foot upon it...._

Jago's frightened face tightens as tears start to well in his eyes, _Why...!? Why didn't you save him...!? He trusted you and you let him die!?_

Feeling this sense of distraught worsening upon hearing what Yin said, he moves closer and pulls the terrified boy to his side, confident that he has succeeded in reawakening him to the failure that was supposed to be the Fierce Chief showing the world that he was not afraid to take on anything nature or the Gods throw at him.

_You could have stopped this, Doumeki Kai.... You could have saved the boy by teaching him to pledge his loyalty to the true Gods.... But you refused; greedily devouring the divine privilege that was only meant for them and allowing him to continue bowing before you...._

The rest of the squad blink at the unusual drop in Kai's chivalry as fear starts to envelop around him, causing him to begin backing away from Jago, who's still cheerful demeanor slowly starts to fade to confusion.

Hajime and Yatto looked towards each other before leaving the vicinity of the wall and walking over to Jago, the elder brother standing behind him while glancing to Kai in a quiet attempt to reassure him that nothing was seriously wrong with him.

Seeing Hajime alive, well, and still dressed in the same outfit as when he first showed up at the dojo, albeit different in material and appearance, only worsened Kai's dilemma, thinking he had lost all respect for him after failing to check back at the quagmire to see if he was still alive.

Jago looks over to Hajime before spinning around and pumping his arms in excitement, "You were right, Aniki! These guys really do save people from whatever gets in their way! I bet they can even save the world from any disaster that strikes it!"

Kai's eyes widen in even more horrific shock at the notion of being THAT strong and powerful. The squad was only created to cheer people out of their own predicaments, not encourage them to fight against everything that threatens them.

Even if these are the words of a child, it was still sharp enough to impale his heart and worsen the dilemma he was already facing. He can feel Yin's jealousy grow darker at the thought of a mere cheer squad trying to achieve such a feat when they, themselves, don't possess the charisma to at least grab the world's attention as all who walk it will no doubt be run in fear for their lives.

_No one can be greater than the true and only Gods...._ his voice once again echoes in Kai's mind, _They can fight, pray for Hope, even call their Gods all they want.... But it will only prove just how foolish they have been for driving the true Gods into nonexistence and turning our future into an era where disorder runs their very life, and no one can decide to whom they should be looking up to for guidance to a happier, more unified peace.... And once they realize this foolish mistake, they will cast off everything that has strengthened the lie claiming to be the peace they have broken away from the true Gods to live in.... _

Shadows began to close in around Kai, among them is Eisaku Iijima, and his recent success, Torao. All were glaring furiously at him as hatred and betrayal fills the dark skies of the playground.

_Behold as those you poisoned with your encouragement and false promises of peace show their true devotion by returning to obeying nothing but what the true Gods have casted upon them since the day of our creation...._

Kai stares at the sight around him; eyes, angry, disappointed, and upset, fixed on him as scornful words singed his ears with hatred and betrayal.

_You lied to us!_

_We trusted you!_

_You were never a hero! You're a fraud like the rest of the squad!_

Kai begins to back away as they close in around him, their hate and anger rising to suffocating measures. Suddenly, a microphone hits him in the back of the head, but before he could turn to see where it came from, another object hits him. Soon, the entire crowd is throwing everything at him; sticks, stones, and all technologies made in the past millennia.

_Get out!_

_We don't want you anymore!_

_Take your lying squad and everything you made us rely on and get lost!_

The rest of the squad watch in confusion and bewilderment as Kai scrambles past them and out of the school grounds, spilling tears of fright. Jago frowns in confusion as he looks up to Hajime.

"What's his problem?" he asked. Hajime compresses his lips before looking down to him.

"Jago, go on home and get started on your homework," he said, "I'll be along in a while."

Jago looked a bit unsure before sauntering out of the school grounds and heading off in the direction of their house. Aoi puffs her cheeks in annoyance.

"Can you believe that guy!?" she snorts, "First he called us uncaring thrill-seekers because he only saw us cheering to people in danger and never sticks around to see why everyone relies on us so much; then he rats us out for trying to show how much we care for him; then he goes and complains that we care more about what our hearts and minds tell us than what he thinks he saw earlier; and now he runs off without even saying anything!? I wish he'd make up his mind and tell us what's bothering him so we can at least help him get through it!"

Saito and Suzuki look to each other before following out after Kai. Hajime grits his teeth as he rushes out in front of the two.

"Wait, hold on!" he exclaims, "There's something we need to talk to you about concerning Yin's change in behavior!"

"We are already aware of Yin's intentions following Ippongi-sama's accident," Suzuki said, "He originally thought killing him would convince Suzaku of his divinity and grant him access to the Wings he's been holding up since Vermillion's destruction."

"That's what Oni-san and I wanted to talk to you about," Hajime said worriedly, "Yin's on this crazy assumption that if he goes to Hell and destroys it from the inside out, not only will his rendition of the 'real Gods' be able to regain their powers, but the entire world will be eternally grateful for his selfless act and revere to him as a grand God of Peace!"

The other members of the squad frown as they look to each other in worry.

"Yin must have realized killing Ippongi-sama didn't garner the respect he expected Suzaku to give him," Suzuki grumbles, "Though the city may be in danger of being ambushed by a deranged old man hopped up on confusion and fear, this could be our chance to simmer down his blind crusade by infiltrating the dojo and apprehending the Wings from him."

Hajime and Yatto look to each other before turning away and muffling a few snickers, gaining confused raises of the eyebrow from the other members of the squad.

"Hate to break it to ya," Hajime snickers loudly as he rubs his nose in confidence while planting his other fist on his side, "But we already got to the Wings long before Yin even made it back here. That's what made him run off in search of Hell in the first place; because he thinks it's the last resort to freeing up the 'real gods' time to turn their focus to bringing order back to the rest of the world!"

The squad just stared at him rather befuddled before looking next to him to see Yatto slowly materializing with the same confident smirk, albeit slightly hampered by the worried furrow of his eyebrows that gave off the physical impression that he was forced to act this way. But their reaction was not what either of them had expected coming from a well experienced group.

Aoi furrows her eyebrows in agitation, "That wasn't funny, Haji-kun! You almost had us relieved!"

Both stare at her in bewilderment, their eyebrows contrasting between a frown and a furrow.

"What're you talking about?" they both blurted in unison, almost sounding like they were standing on a mountain.

"Telling us what Yin is up to is one thing," Sayaka scolds, "But lying to us about actually getting the Wings behind his back is the worst way to gain our affection."

Yatto grabs the corners of his Wings, _Hey wait a minute...!_ he stretches his arms out, spreading the Wings apart for display, _How can you say he was lying when the proof is right in front of you...!?_

"Because we would not only be able to see the Wings hanging off your shoulders, but you would also be visible to all eyes," Suzuki interjects, seeming more impatient with the two's claim than the Girls were offended. From their view, Yatto is merely stretching his arms out, fists clenched tightly.

Yatto drops his arms, still clenching the feathered cape as his furrowed eyebrows tighten in exasperation, _But...even if you can't see them, what gave you the impression that we were lying in the first place...!? I can see the Wings just fine; I don't need witness statements telling me-!_

"I understand you're trying to help Tanaka-san fit into the squad," Suzuki interrupts while lowering his head in concern, "But pretending to agree with his claims is not going to make us think differently about his current behavior."

Hajime frowns in frustration, "At least scan me out! If I was saying all that just to lighten the mood, wouldn't you have felt it when I brought it up!?"

Suzuki's frown only tightens in more irritation, not even bothering to take on his request, "We do not have time to stick around, listening to you look for excuses to claim what we have already seen and felt! Yin is a baggage of emotions, and at any moment he could falter before one of them and run back to the dojo for security and comfort; leaving us with a small window of opportunity to get the Wings before that moment happens!"

Hajime and Yatto furrow their eyebrows in devastation as Suzuki and Saito turn their backs to them, "If you really want to make yourselves useful to our cause, stop trying to test our patience and take your responsibilities seriously!" the two then march off, leaving the rest behind to watch them leave.

Hajime begins to exasperate, "What kind of a knowledgeable squad are you if you're just going to brush off our accusations without even investigating the situation!?" he looks over to the Girls, "Come on, help me out here! You would know if I was telling the truth or not!"

The Cheer Girls look to each other before turning their attention back to Hajime, their eyebrows furrowed in worry and concern.

"You've been in that quicksand too long, Tanaka-san," Sayaka said, "Maybe you should go home and rest."

Hajime tries to say something, but the Girls turned and walked off, leaving him and Yatto alone on the school playground, watching in bewilderment before looking at each other, completely lost.

* * *

"I don't understand...." Hajime sighs in frustration as he sits in the kitchen, face in his hands while his elbows rest on the table in front of him, "How can they be so confident about what they saw, even when you said what we did...?"

_Probably because they weren't there when we found the Wings...._ Yatto mutters, sitting on the counter beside the microwave as it was busy cooking something, _There isn't much we know about yokai accessories aside from the fact that they were collected from animal spirits after they've shed or molted.... It's possible when the strands fall off, they cast their own spell, becoming invisible to even the most spiritually aware being when the wearer loses his tangibility...._

Hajime threw his hands out as he snaps his head up in exasperation, "So how come I'm the only one who can see them?"

_Because you saw the Wings before I put them on, therefore, the information has been registered into your mind and can't be erased even if you suffer amnesia...._

Hajime threw his head onto the table, slapped on hand behind it while keeping his other arm curled around it, "I still don't understand why they can't just take a moment to look deep into our souls and figure out why we keep sticking by our beliefs!? Didn't Ryuta teach them never to leave any stones unturned!?"

_That only seems to apply if he wasn't knocked unconscious by the very man who destroyed his village...._ Yatto mutters irritably, _And since the old codger is so flooded with emotions he'd run home at the very sight of a fluttering cherry blossom, the entire squad is in shambles over what they should be doing to resolve the matter...._

The microwave dings as Hajime gets up and heads over to it, opening it up and taking out a bowl of vegetable soup, _They seem to trust him wholeheartedly...almost to the point where they think he's the only person who knows when the old man will snap under turmoil, and stop him from using the power of the spirits to prove to the world that he's been communicating to the 'original gods', and demand they start returning to their 'original religion' before they cast the 'ultimate punishment' on them...._

Hajime slams the microwave door in frustration, "That's just crazy! There's no way they would be so naïve that they'd even BELIEVE Ryuta is the only know who can get to the Wings just because he was there when Yin burnt the village down and stole the chest that contains it! Even HE would want extra hands helping him get the Wings away from Yin and making sure he goes into the city with nothing but that flag he clings to as the 'last connection to the original gods'!"

He grips the edge of the bowl in frustration, "I have just about half a mind to throw on the Vermillion robe and fly over to them; convince them that I know just as much about what Ryuta's going through as they do so they'd stop treating me like I'm not supposed to know his background until several years after joining the squad!"

_They'll just think you stole his robe and learned how to fly by stumbling through the streets while waving your arms like a maniac...._ Yatto retorts in more irritation, _Don't forget, Vermillion got banged up so badly they can't even let their own children know its been rebuilt for fear the old man would find out and go on a manhunt to make sure none of them make their way to the Spirit Gates to 'continue harvesting the Children of Suzaku'...._

Hajime stares at the bowl in more frustration as he heads for the attic on the second floor of the Tanaka household, _He may have found out you had some connection to the village and assumed it had been rebuilt...but before then he seemed certain that everyone had abandoned the place, either spending the rest of their life in the spirit world or trying to adapt to life as a normal person...._

Yatto sat on a shelf full of blankets standing at one end of the attic, looking towards a splayed out set of Japanese futon, the blanket the generic blue with white border, _As far as the rest of the squad is concerned, the village is still in ruins, the spirits eventually abandoned the place, leaving it for the forest vegetation to consume, and Ryuta is the only survivor who saw and vowed to make sure the old man doesn't use the Wings to call foal on every religion that's been spread around the world for many years...._

The hatch pushes open as Hajime pokes his head into the attic, placing the bowl on the ground beside him, "But Ryuta should have at least told them more than just how I found the squad. I know you weren't there when I first ran into them, but they seem to fully understand how much I know about Spirit Reading and seemed eager to want to get to know me better before that fiasco at the lake."

_Keyword being 'how'...he knows you learned Spirit Reading somewhere...and he knows we've known each other for a lot longer than you've been in the squad.... How you knew them is something he left up to you to explain...._

Hajime cringes slightly as he pulls himself into the attic and picks up the bowl of soup, _For all he knows, you could have just stumbled into the village a day before coming here, and are still learning more than ghost whispering...._

Yatto looks towards one of his black taped feet as the ankle rests on his knee, _And since we made the mistake of warning them about the old man's intentions before letting them know that he no longer has the Wings, they're left with the impression that I only agreed with you just to make you feel better...._

Hajime grits his teeth as he walks over to the futon, staring at pillow to see Ryuta laying unconscious on top of it with the blanket covering him from the chin down. Though dry and warm, his body still shivers from the length of time he spent suffering hypothermia.

Upon stopping beside of his head, Ryuta's face twists in weakened pain as he grunts in a vain attempt to regain consciousness. Hajime can feel his desperate spirit slither around him, seeming to drain off the concern flowing within his heart. He stares in bewilderment before frowning and kneeling beside him, taking out a spoon full and carefully shoving it into his mouth; gaining a reaction as the slithering soul spikes with surprise, momentarily releasing his soul before going back to absorbing it into Ryuta's consciousness.

"Well...." Hajime mutters in frustration as he digs out another spoonful, "If they're so dead set on making Ryuta the only person who can tell them what's going on, then I'm going to make sure he realizes what he's dealing with before giving them the final word...!" he finishes by shoving the spoon back into Ryuta's mouth, repeating the same reaction as before.

End Notes:

1. There were no translations for "Thrill", which is one of the reasons I didn't put up the lyrics; also the cutscenes were more of a replay between the two characters, which is another reason for cutting down on the stage being presented.  
2. Although "yokai" is usually a form of military response similar to "yessir", the original term usually means "spirit" in Japanese.


	16. Episode 16: Answers to an Mystery

Episode 16: Answers to an Unsolved Mystery

It had been several weeks since Ryuta's accident and things haven't changed for the better. The Cheer Girls have gone back to tending to the needs of the city, having left full responsibility of the squad to Saito and Suzuki as they had been in it a lot longer, and have a much better chance of ensuring its safe longevity.

Unfortunately, Saito and Suzuki seemed to have taken that responsibility a little more personally than seriously. Having found out about Ryuta's accident and the cause hours before finding Kai stumbling through the streets of Tokyo, the two are at a loss of what they should be doing to try and save the squad from crumbling into hysteria and confusion.

Teamwork is always a factor when it comes to dealing with the dangers of the real world, and the stress that billows from its gapping mouth. But in situations where one man's emotion can change from divinely justified to traumatized fear in less than a second, the followers feel that teamwork should only be in the eyes of the veterans.

Of the eight members that have joined so far, Ryuta is the only one they can trust to ensure that their future, as well as the individuality of the world, is secured and prosperous. After Anna's outburst about what she thinks is the cause of the brothers being so antisocial to everyone but themselves, the Cheer Girls have proven that they weren't ready to assist in the task of getting the Wings away from Yin before he falters under one of his many emotions and runs back to the safety and comfort of "his" home.

With that in mind the followers plan to convince Ryuta, once he regained consciousness, not to involve them in their scheme of stopping Yin from using the Wings to take over the world and force it into his era of peace. There was only one problem keeping them from confronting him and putting forth their suggestion; Hajime.

In the past they didn't mind having a new member helping them maintain balance within the hearts and minds of those who call for them. But after the accident, Saito and Suzuki began to see Hajime as a major problem. Being the newest member of the squad, everyone had chosen to stick him on the bottom of their list until things settle down enough to properly explain the severity of the situation.

Unfortunately, the very person everyone had chosen to leave out of the circle ended up being the one to not only find Ryuta struggling to recover from whatever predicament Yin threw him into, but also take it upon himself to deal with his recovery, seemingly completely unaware of the fact that he was soaking in his concerned spirit in order to refuel his own consciousness. To make matters worse, he still continues to believe Yatto has the Wings despite what everyone else has seen and sensed, a further indication of just how much Spirit Reading he has accumulated in the past prior to joining the squad.

Ryuta's consciousness is almost in full swing, and if the two aren't there to stick in their two yens' worth, he could easily manipulate him into believing Yin no longer has the Wings, and convince him to stop pursuing him. It was vital they get him away from Hajime before that scenario happens.

* * *

Hajime pulls the microwave door open and takes out a bowl of soup in preparation for another moment spent hand-feeding Ryuta when he hears the doorbell ring. He walks over to the door and opens it to see Saito, Suzuki, and the Cheer Girls standing on his welcome mat, the late afternoon sun glowing a beautiful, fiery color.

They all seem a bit bewildered by his sudden change in appearance; though he still wore his Ouendan uniform, sans the emblem-stamped bandana, his hair had begun to grow back to their black, mild spikiness, almost giving off the impression that his time spent tending to Ryuta's care was starting to take its toll on his other objectives.

"I apologize for our sudden intrusion, Tanaka-san," Suzuki said, "But we have come to check up on Ippongi-sama."

Hajime doesn't express too much of a surprise at his blunt, get-to-the-point statement as he turns and heads upstairs, spiritually inviting them to come in and follow him up into the attic where they find Ryuta laying in a generic futon.

Upon arrival, Hajime's presence sparks a weakened grunt from the comatose leader as he kneels down beside him and begins sticking portions of tomato soup into his mouth. As expected, he doesn't even notice Ryuta's spirit slithering around and absorbing his concerned soul, further indicating how little he realized the disaster he was unfolding.

The group watches a minute before looking over to Hajime.

"We have come to take over Ippongi-sama's recovery," Suzuki said bluntly, causing Hajime to stop and look over to them, frowning in confusion.

"What for?" he asked.

"Simply put. He will be awakening soon, and with you being so busy, we cannot afford to continue leaving him in your care."

Hajime's frown tightens as he goes back to feeding Ryuta, "So? You guys aren't exactly couch potatoes yourselves; you care more about the city than you do making sure Ryuta doesn't try to escape at the possible moment he's by himself."

"But we are many who know and understand the lengths he will go to uphold his promise to protect the world from the problems they face. Where as you don't have a clue just how determined he is to get back on his feet and deal with the situation currently looming over us. And we do not want you to feel responsible for his actions should he try to escape at the very moment your back is turned."

"Believe me, he won't; I'll make sure of that," Hajime gets up and turns to the squad while crossing his arms, holding the now empty bowl in his right hand, "I'm pretty capable of multi-tasking and juggling my schedule around so I have plenty of time for activities other than school and housework. Plus-" he suddenly stopped by Sayaka placing her hands on his shoulders, boasting a very concerned furrow of her paper-thin eyebrows.

"We know how much you want to be in this squad, Tanaka-san," she said, sounding worried, "But you don't have to keep pretending you can handle everything just to prove you aren't a waste. Your needs are just important as ours, and we don't want you taking it to a point where you start to neglect some of them just to make room for whatever problems we're facing."

Hajime's frown only tightens in frustration, seeming to sense the jig being played against him. Though the Cheer Girls appear to be doing just fine sticking to their responsibilities of responding to whoever calls them, they too have been too preoccupied with whatever's going through Yin's mind to pay any attention to what he's been doing in the past several weeks. Saito and Suzuki seemed to have known about this and only invited them for the sole purpose of using their concerned spirits to break through his confidence and sway him into handing over Ryuta. The fact he stopped shaving his head must have driven the nail even deeper into the coffin they were intending to trap him in for the duration of Ryuta's recovery.

"Now wait a minute!" he protests while rubbing his free hand over his mildly spiky, black hair, "Just because I stopped shaving doesn't mean I have too much on my hands to keep up with everyone else! I still practice my cheering and Thai boxing moves every morning before I go to school and when there's nothing to do to kill time after I finish any homework or house chores I need to do!"

"Please, Tanaka-san, you've done enough," Sayaka proclaims, tightening the furrows on her eyebrows, "Let us take over Ippongi-san's recovery while you go back to dealing with your own needs. We can deal with his tenacity better than you can, and we're more capable of making sure he stays put and worries more about his own recovery."

Hajime mentally cringes as he eyes Saito and Suzuki, noticing their confidence continuing to rise; further indicating their reason for dragging the Cheer Girls with them for the sole purpose of jabbing his heart with their concern. He didn't trust what they were going to do with Ryuta once that feat is accomplished; considering their undying respect for his knowledge of Spirit Reading, and his experience with what happened during the destruction of Vermillion Village, they would most likely back off at the very sense of his determination and do nothing as he goes crawling back to Yin in a vain attempt to stop him from reaching the city with whatever means are still left in his highly theistic mind.

"Really?" Hajime retorts, planting his free hand on his side, "And how do you plan to tame his tenacity and frustration? Cuddle him and tell him everything's going to be okay when he knows its not? Lock him in some dark, windowless closet and leave him there to punch, kick and ram himself unconscious; killing any chance you have of coming up with a plan that won't jeopardize our reputation to the rest of the world? If you can't get him to understand how inferior he currently is, drill it into his skull until he comes to terms with his condition and relents to the R&R he so desperately needs!"

He then heads over to one of the shelves containing blankets and pulls out a roll, causing an unusual clanking noise upon hitting the floor. The Cheer Girls cocked an eyebrow in curiosity at the peculiar blanket as he places the empty bowl on top of the shelf and unties the strings, causing it to unroll into a full-size blanket with three red corners and a white "150lbs" stitched in the center.

The Girls blink in surprise as they took the blanket, almost losing grip of it due to the weight of the three corners.

"Whoa!" Aoi yelps as she stumbles away from the blanket, "What is it!?"

Hajime walks over and pulls the blanket back up again, "I call this the Restraining Blanket. I figured you were going to be super busy and have little time tending to those who are too high-strung about wanting to save the city more than themselves; so I bought some blankets and replaced the cotton on the borders with lead chains differing in size and weight."

The other members of the squad stared at him like he was crazy, "A perfectly fit, average human can handle nearly twice their own body weight; but if they suffer from something as minor as a common cold, they won't have the energy to lift that much because most of it will be spent powering their immune system into fighting the infection."

Suzuki frowns in aggravation, "Do you mean to suggest we pin Ippongi-sama to his bed and leave him there for the rest of his recovery!? How is this going to stop him from killing himself trying to escape?"

"Because when the body is pinned down, the brain will only have two options, fight or surrender. If they choose fight, all energy will be spent trying to get the cause of the obstruction off until they either succeed or cripple themselves with exhaustion."

Suzuki's frown tightens, "How absurd! It took Ippongi-sama this long to regain most of his energy and you intend to make him waste it trying to fight off your cruel contraption!?"

"Oh? I thought you would have figured it out by now why he always sits on you whenever he feels you aren't well enough to get back up," Hajime said, rather vengefully, "It's not just to remind you who's in charge, it's also to make sure you don't try anything that will worsen your condition."

Saito and Suzuki eyes Ryuta still laying in the futon, "The Restraining Blanket fulfills three purposes, comfort, isolation, and drilling the realization that he won't stand a chance against Yin if he can't even lift half his average bodyweight."

The two followers snap their heads back towards Hajime, about to object when they heard intriguing awes from the Cheer Girls.

"That's so cool!" Aoi squeals, "I never thought you could take something that looks so comfortable and make it so constraining!"

"I vouch for the surrender part!" Anna chimes in as she mentally shivers, "I still have chills remembering what happened when I collapsed from that throat tumor last year! I'd rather be pinned down by a weighted blanket than kill myself again fighting something just as similar!"

Suzuki snaps his head over to the Girls, "You're not seriously thinking his methods are more viable than ours!? Ippongi-sama may have the galls to sit on us when he wants to keep us down, but he at least gets up when we swear not to over-exert ourselves too much! What he's suggesting is pinning him to his bed and LEAVING him there until he regains enough of his strength to remove it HIMSELF; a feat he will never stand for and wait to happen!"

"Tanaka-san has a point," Sayaka said, rather scornfully, as she plants her fists on her hips, "Ippongi-san is in no condition to be moving around; he needs his rest if he's going to continue helping us pull the world out of whatever predicaments it finds itself in. Besides, it's not fair that Ippongi-san shrugs off any injuries or sickness he suffers and goes about his business like normal; yet when we fall under the same category, he often pins us to our beds and makes us stay there until we recover! If he thinks dealing with Yin is more important than his own health then we're going to keep him pinned to his futon until he learns to understand that taking him on would be much more viable if he was back at full strength instead of the very minute he wakes up!"

The two followers stare at the Girls like they were crazy before shooting a similar glace to Hajime. Just several weeks ago, they didn't want to stick around and listen to what he had to say. Now they've gone a complete 180 and sided with his method of restraint over their concern despite the fact that he hasn't been in the squad long enough to understand what it was going through, and why such measures have to be taken in order to protect it from threats like Yin trying to shut them down for good.

Aoi looks over to Sayaka, "Well, now I'm content knowing Ryu-kun is in good hands! Let's go to the city and find something to do until someone calls for us!"

The other two Girls nod as they head out of the attic, leaving the still baffled followers behind to watch them leave before shooting another worrying glance at Hajime, then storming out themselves.

* * *

Ryuta is jostled out of his unconscious state by the attic lights turning on, almost blinding him if it weren't for the protection of his eyelids concealing his retinas.

"Oh, I'm sorry; I didn't mean to wake you like that," said a voice with a hint of slyness in his surprised tone, "When I saw you passed out in your futon, I assumed you fought yourself into another few weeks of coma."

Ryuta opened his eyes as far as he could as he looks over to its source to see the same black haired boy from before blocking the lights with a bowl of tomato soup in his hand. His eyebrow twitched upon realizing who he was and why he was giving off that familiar vibe earlier.

"P...pay back is over, Hajime...." Ryuta sneers strenuously, "Now take...this stupid blanket...o-!" he's cut off by a tomato sauce-drenched hardboiled egg being shoved into his mouth.

"Pay back?" Hajime said with a hint of satisfaction in his voice, "I'm doing more than just getting back at you for the way you treated me on our first encounter." He took the chopsticks off the egg, leaving it crammed in Ryuta's mouth, "I may not know how much you suffered after finding you stumbling through the swamp bog sopping wet and shivering like crazy, but I know the ordeal was too much for even your medium-built body to handle."

He leans closer to Ryuta's face, sporting a taunting smirk while the aggravated leader continues to glare at him as he chews the entire egg, "There is an easier way to get that blanket off without wasting a single ounce of energy; good ol' R&R. Quite an amazing tool, don'cha think?"

Ryuta swallows before lifting his head closer to Hajime, his irate frown tightening to the point of its crooked tips twitching from the strain, "Get. This. Thing. Off. Me!"

"Or else what? You gonna call the rest of the squad; make them side with your hot-blooded spirit and convince them to take the blanket off?" Hajime coos before sticking a long straw in the soup, "Hate to break it to you, Ryu-kun, but it turns out I'm not the only person in this squad who cares more about your welfare, and feel it a _bit_ unfair that you get to shrug off whatever hits you while the rest of us can't even get out of bed with the sniffles without being crushed back down by your hard ass. It only took one good look at the shelves of Restraining Blankets to win their agreement."

Hajime shoves the other end of the straw in Ryuta's mouth, "The Girls especially liked the idea of holding you down without crushing anymore of your bones; so much so that they're probably busting a gut trying not to disturb their neighbors with their shrilling laugh. So in the modern day words of the Land of Liberty, I'd say you're shit outta luck!"

He then gets up and heads for the stairs, "Oh, and make sure you spit that straw out when you're done sipping your soup. Don't want you conking out and choking on it."

Ryuta blows bubbles in his tomato soup as he struggles to contain his anger over the sudden betrayal of the squad siding with Hajime's decision over his.

* * *

Horseracing is one of the most popular sports in Japan. Many spectators flock to the stadiums to throw their money onto a specific horse and hope it wins. But one horse is gaining little fanfare.

At the dead-end line of the current race is a thoroughbred horse by the name of Biridon. His popularity dove just as quickly as it had risen when he won his first race...out of 49. Desperations are high at the next race; if he doesn't win, today's race will be his last. Will he retain his title as the dark horse who unexpectedly wins the race?

"This just in!" Mr. Announcer suddenly interrupts, "A thief has been spotted driving in the middle of the race track! This is terrible and unprecedented!"

As reported, a sinister thief with wild hair, sunglasses, a red sweater and black pants zooms towards the sluggish Biridon on a motorbike, carting a large sack of goodies on his back. He snickers deviously as he drives towards the heart of the race, expecting to lose the police in the thundering mass of men and horses. The announcer, horrified by this feat, does the only thing any helpless person would do....

_**OUENDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!!!**_

Sitting in the bleachers of the stadium, like tigers waiting to pounce, three Ouendan look on in disbelief. Saito and Suzuki sat between Kai Doumeki, who catches onto the danger beforehand. Abandoning his original plan to let his betting horse win, he and the two followers rush out into the stadium and shout "OSU" to Biridon, who not only was the witness of the thief's appearance, but is the only one with few bets.

"Someone catch the thief!" Mr. Announcer cries in hysteria.

Using aggressive cheerleading skills and the music provided by the large speakers, Kai begins his trek to encourage Biridon to the win the race and stop the thief before he tries to escape.

_Gattsu__ da ze pawafuru tamashii  
__(__You've got guts, a powerful soul__)  
Gattsu da ze sui mo amai mo  
__(Sweat and sour)  
Gattsu da ze do the dokonjou  
__(Do the Guts)  
Otoko wa ase kaite beso kaite go!  
__(A man sweats, he really does, go!)_

Fueled by the Ouendan's fierce performance, Biridon storms past his competitors and manages to cross the finish line at the head of the pack. But the horse cares little about his sudden victory as he throws his jockey off and stampedes after the thief, who manages to elude the authorities and escapes into the city.

"Chase the Thief, Biridon!" Mr. Announcer shouts in encouragement for the lone, brave thoroughbred, fueled further by another shout from the Fierce Squad.

_Mote__nai dekinai  
__(I'm not Popular; I can't do it)  
Iesoo mo nai (Gattsu da ze)  
__(It doesn't seem like I can speak)  
Kono chike na oira ni  
__(Please give some love to me)  
Ai o choodai  
__(Who isn't cool)  
__Aenai dakenai  
__(I can't be with you, I can't hold you)  
Dekisoo mo nai (Gattsu da ze)  
__(It doesn't seem like I can do it)  
Kono zange o kamisama  
__(God, please listen to)  
Kite choodai  
__(My confession)  
_

The thief snickers as he speeds through the streets, thinking he succeeded at losing the police by careening through the horserace, then ditching his motorbike once the situation turned into a confusing mess. But his confidence fades at the sound of stampeding hooves. Looking behind him, he sees Biridon gaining on him at nearly the same speed as the skateboard he stole, a look of bravado laced on his otherwise droopy face. Panicked, he madly stomps his right foot on the ground and pushes off it, increasing his speed in a vain attempt to escape him.

_Sonna yowaki de  
__(I'm so timid)  
Doosun no (doosun no)  
__(What can I do? (What can you do?))_

The two reach a manhole just down the street, its lid open with a caution gate standing in front of it. Desperate to get away from Biridon, the thief stomps the back of his stolen skateboard, sending it flying into the air and over the obstacles.

"The thief jumped!" Mr. Announcer shouts in disarray at the thought the thief out performing Biridon.

_Gutto nonde  
__(I drink a lot)  
Patto yatte  
__(And suddenly do it)  
Try Try Try_

Biridon oversees the length between him and the thief and leaps into the air, passing over the caution gate and the manhole without little trouble.

"And Biridon is still on his tail!" Mr. Announcer shouts with joy and relief.

_Tama nya hazushite  
__(To feel loose sometimes)  
Feel So Good (Feel So Good)  
Hora mangaichi kindaichi  
__(Hey come on, before this turns an unsolved case)  
Meikyuu iri suru mae ni  
__(Like the manga "Kindaichi")_

Biridon continues on the thief's heels, watching as he ditches the skateboard and steals a water jet to escape overseas.

"Overtake the thief!" Mr. Announcer calls out as the Fierce Squad appear at the shores behind Biridon, shouting another douse of encouragement into his already heated soul. Recharged and raring to go, he stampedes through the waves, slamming his hooves down with enough gusto to charge him through the deepest part of the ocean.

_Gattsu da ze pawafuru tamashii  
Gattsu__ da ze nani wa nakutemo  
__(I don't know what there is about it)  
Gattsu da ze do the dokonjou  
Otoko wa ase kaite BESO kaite GO!_

The thief snickers again, knowing a horse couldn't be able to keep up with a water jet in the rough, watery terrain. But he is quickly corrected when he hears mad splashing behind him. Turning his head, he sees Biridon gaining on him once again, his face still plastered with fury and determination. The thief begins to freak out as he twists the handle of his water jet, hitting the limit of its speed as he tries to escape the oncoming horse.

_Oh ikuka modoru ka  
__(Do I go on? Do I go back?)  
__Dooshiyou ka (dooshiyou ka)  
__(What should I do?)_

"Biridon is at a crawl!" Mr. Announcer states astonishingly, "The gap between him and the thief shortens in the blink of an eye!"

_Chotto __chuucho  
__(I'm hesitating a little)  
Dakedo icchou  
__(But I'm going to do it)  
Try Try Try_

With both runners back on dry land, the Fierce Squad make another move towards Biridon, shouting "OSU" again to keep him determined and encouraged to catch the thief and bring him to justice.

_Moeru omoi wa  
__(My burning feelings are)  
Beautiful (Beautiful)  
Hora anta gatta  
__(Hey, you guys)  
Sono taoozsei  
__(There's a lot of other people who are)  
Eikyuu Lovin' You Ah  
__(Lovin' you forever, ah)_

The thief repossesses his motorbike and continues down the road, trying desperately to get rid of Biridon. But, as the torpedoing thoroughbred continues to gain closure, it becomes clear that nothing can stop him from catching up to and stopping the thief from driving his way to freedom.

_  
__Gattsu da ze pawafuru tamashii  
Gattsu da ze sui mo amai mo  
Gattsu da ze do the Dokonjou  
Otoko mo onna mo mori agette go!_

Overtaxed by the thief's exhausting mileage, the motorbike breaks down into a smoldering heap of scrap, forcing him to abandon it and continue on foot. With the crowd, the announcer, and the Ouendan cheering him on, Biridon gains momentum on the terrified thief and plants his hind hooves hard into his back, subduing him long enough for the authorities to arrive and slap him in handcuffs.

The crowd roars with excitement and delight at the dark horse's rise to fame and attention, narrowly escaping his retirement, as well as becoming front page news.

The Fierce Squad stood away from all media, watching Biridon's rising fame with a sense of satisfaction before they turn to leave, finding their presence no longer needed.

"Hey! Hey wait!" shouts a voice that stopped the trio in their designated track. Turning their heads slightly, they see Mr. Announcer running over to them with his trademark microphone in hand, screeching to a halt and standing close to their faces while smiling with excitement of the recent events that occurred earlier.

"I'm so sorry we didn't notice you three earlier! You guys are so illusive we almost forgot you had a hand in helping us catch the thief!"

Saito and Suzuki look to Kai, who isn't giving much of a response other than a tightened frown, before turning their attention back to Mr. Announcer and sharply bowing to him.

"Please do not mind us," Suzuki said, "We are merely instruments helping those who want to stop the thief from having his way with the law."

"Don't be ridiculous! You're like a hero to this city!" Mr. Announcer dejects, causing Kai's expression to twist into sheer horror, "Even the most selfish people who call on you can't bear to go the rest of the day without thinking about how selfless you are at helping them fight whatever problems ailed them!"

The followers eye Kai, sensing his terror ooze out of his fierce spirit as he begins to back away from the chattering news reporter, "Why, you're so heroic and tenacious, you could even encourage us to fight against any disaster that threatens to strike this planet no matter how big or powerful!"

Hearing that made Kai's confidence drop even more, feeling Yin catching onto his latest victory and appearing beside Mr. Announcer, tall and proud like the flag he holds waving in the dark winds of the future.

_You still continue to poison the world against the true divinity of the Gods...?_ he voice echoes in Kai's mind,_ When will you learn that no matter what you do to maintain this folly vision of peace, it will always be a mere shadow of what they will imbue once your limit has been reached...?_

As if hypnotized by Yin's remark, Mr. Announcer's boisterous face twists into hateful scorn, _How dare you make us rely on you to take care of everything we ask of you!? Ever since you first showed up you've been doing nothing but make us fight our problems while yelling at us for not trying hard enough! You're just a bunch of cowards who think they can be heroes simply by hiding behind us and forcing us to deal with our own problems! _

He then throws his microphone at Kai, hitting him in the face and forcing him back a couple feet, _Go on! Beat it! We don't want frauds who think they can help us without getting physically involved in our problems!_

As Kai was regaining his senses, Mr. Announcer sinks into darkness, becoming just another shadow of the millions that appeared before the terrified chief, their scorns growing louder as the hale of sticks and stones flew towards his body.

_God slayer!_

_Heathen!_

_Fraud!_

Kai grabs his head in vain as he struggles to snap himself out of the nightmare he was being dragged into as Yin once again rises from the sea of shadows, towering over them like the mighty gods he depicted in his dreams.

_The inevitable has been realized many years ago...._ Yin proclaims, _But you refuse to let humankind accept this grim reality all because you want Hope and encouragement to bring about better peace and unity.... The true Gods will soon reawaken this world to its foolishness and remind them why their divinity is more real than that of the folly religions Hope has corrupted them into creating.... All of humanity will be so horrified and shocked by their naivety that they will rid themselves of everything they have been poisoned into believing and cast them upon those who have helped Hope become the dominator it is today...._

A giant, iron, rusted cross lands in front of Kai, the top falling off to reveal an empty compartment, as Yin thrusts his fingers towards it while a crash of lightning flashes behind him.

_Behold your punishment for turning your back to the true Gods and aiding Hope in continuing to sway to world into accepting it as their only means to peace...for allowing humankind to believe they have the power to pave their own paths to true happiness...and disobeying everything our master has done to make this world the unified, peaceful future it should be...._

Kai's eyes widen at the thought of his most respected idol casting him off as a failure who allowed the world to fall this far into one-sided chaos; almost feeling him looking down on him from heaven with disappointment, anger, and distrust.

_Yes...even he has come to realize what you have done after his death...selling yourself to the denizens of Hope even after what they have done to him.... He will be just as eager to cast you into oblivion, taking all that was created during the era of confusion you have led the world into...._

As if on cue, the crowd's yelling grows louder as the sticks and stones being thrown at Kai are quickly joined by all tools and items that were created in the past, aimed at the cross-shaped crate as the impact starts to send it tipping violently towards him.

_You could have stopped this.... You could have saved us all from driving ourselves deeper into this era of confusion we're supposed to call 'peace'.... But you continued to make us accept a reality that was never meant to be...a reality that is nothing more than a cry for the truth behind the reason we exist in the first place.... And for making us accept that fallible belief, you shall spend the rest of your condemned days carrying all that was used to empower humankind's independence away from the true Gods, never to be set upon our blessed resources again...._

Kai stumbles away from everyone as his face twists in more terror before turning around running away, leaving them to watch in dumbstruck bewilderment.

"Was...it something I said...?" Mr. Announcer mutters, dumbfounded by the unusual behavior of the Fierce Leader. Saito and Suzuki look to each other before bowing sharply to Mr. Announcer again.

"Please excuse our rude departure, Mr. Announcer," they both said before turning and walking off after Kai at a nonchalant pace; hiding a deeper concern at their failure in maintaining the balance of the squad.

Bringing the Cheer Girls along in order to get Ryuta away from Hajime has cost them dearly. Not only have they willingly allowed him to continue with this cruel idea of keeping their powerful leader pinned to the ground and leaving him there to fight it off, they were becoming more and more eager for the day they will help him infiltrate the dojo and get the Wings out of Yin's hands; a feat they have been trying to avoid since the day of the accident.

They can sense Ryuta has regained consciousness shortly after that fiasco and, true to Hajime's word, he has used the Restraining Blanket to keep him from leaving his house and chasing after Yin; it will only be a matter of time before he takes advantage of the exhaustion to manipulate him into believing Yatto already has the Wings and convince him to stop pursuing Yin. And Yatto was going to do nothing but continue to play along with his presumptions out of fear of watching him get himself into trouble in a futile attempt to further prove to the squad how reliable he is.

Hajime would have been a big help to their cause, but with everyone so preoccupied with how long Yin is planning to continue his deranged journey to find and destroy Hell, they can no longer afford to keep him around, especially if he was going to continue taking advantage of their lack of fortification to muscle his way up the ranks and call the shots without even bothering to realize what kind of troubles he was causing for the squad.

In order to put a stop to the power struggle and give themselves more time to think about what's best for them and the world they fight for, Hajime must be expelled from the squad until the situation concerning Yin's ambitions are forever put to rest.


	17. Episode 17: The Runt Who Became a Leader

Episode 17: The Runt Who Became a Leader

Ryuta seethes in frustration as he continues to lay pinned against the futon by the 150lb blanket covering his body. Hajime hasn't come back up since lunch, thoroughly intent on keeping him restrained for as long as he continues to choose chivalry over health.

He can sense the crumbling of the squad following his accident, the Cheer Girls obliviously going back to their routine of cheering to whoever calls for them while Kai appears to be distraught and terrified of what had been going on lately concerning him and the future he's about to face. The only people who seem to be on track with the severity of the current situation is Saito and Suzuki, the oldest members of the squad who have experienced everything from Spirit Reading to understanding and helping those in need. Unlike the rest of the squad, they have been thinking more about what's going to happen to them and how they were going to resolve the situation without making it worse.

And where was Yatto in all this? He was the most concerned about the wellbeing of Kai and had seen the dastardly efforts Yin has put into ensuring he becomes nothing more than a mindless servant that will think of nothing but agreeing with everything he says. Yet he hasn't done a thing to fix the problem, obviously because he was still afraid of what might happen if he confronted Kai in his ghostly state.

As Ryuta was thinking about Yatto, he suddenly senses his ghostly spirit close by. He looks towards the attic window to see him slowly fade into view, sitting against its side frame while relaxing in the warm, afternoon sun; appearing to be asleep with his arms crossed and the toes on his right foot rubbing against each other. Despite being distraught and worried about the wellbeing of his little brother, there was a hint of boredom outlining his ghostly spirit, not appearing to be in a big hurry to rush out and do something to keep the squad well maintained for the coming future.

But as Yatto was starting to come closer into focus, Ryuta saw something that made his eyes widen in sheer shock and horror. Sandwiched between his large toe and the small toe next to it is a large, fire-colored feather connected to a wing-like cape spread around his shoulders. But it wasn't the generic Fire Bird cape worn by the villagers of Vermillion; it was THE Wings of Suzaku, which had been in Yin's deranged clutches since the destruction of the village. Having been shown the feathered cape before the Fire Bird and his grandfather engaged in a trip down memory lane, it wasn't hard for it to hide from his spiritual awareness.

Seeing the Wings only pissed Ryuta off as much as it made him relieved that Yin will be one piece shy of a complete puzzle. He was tempted to think that nightmare he had last night was just that, but now that he knows Yatto has the Wings, the lack of realization from the rest of the squad only seems to indicate that Hajime is dead set on making sure they never get the chance to even think about setting foot into the dojo or at least making sure Kai knows that his brother is still alive.

Just as the reality of what was keeping everyone from pursuing Yin had sunk into his weakened, brazen skull, the hatch to the attic pops open as the cause of the whole fiasco pokes his head up from the ceiling separating it from the bedroom hallways, looking towards Yatto with a bit of satisfaction in finding him.

"Ah, there you are," Hajime said as he climbed into the attic and walks over to him, "I figured I'd take a break from studying for my midterm and head on up to see how you're doing?"

There was an awkward moment of silence, indicating Yatto was either too entranced by the afternoon sun to answer, or too caught up in his own thoughts to acknowledge his presence. One thing's for sure; he was tired of staying in this ghostly form and wants his solidity back.

Hajime sighs through his nose at the ignorance, seeming to understand what was going through Yatto's mind, before walking to the other end of the attic and heading behind a mountain of boxes. The sound of a trunk opening and fabric being pulled out grabs the one-eyed ghost's attention as he looks towards it in time to see him slide back out in his Vermillion robe and wings.

_What're you doing...?_ Yatto mutters.

"You've been out of sight for far too long," Hajime said slipping his arms into the feathers of the wing-like cape and grabbing the handles that control the wrist area of its wings while making his way back over to Yatto, "I think it's time we head on to Vermillion and hang out with some of our spiritual buddies; maybe teach you how to fly that cape so you don't have to walk once you finally feel well enough to be solid again."

Yatto stares at him, a bit unsure of the offer. Ryuta, on the other hand, starts to tremble at the apparent outrage he was seeing before him. Hajime knew Yatto wanted so badly to reunite with his brother after so many years, yet he wasn't doing a thing to accomplish that, seeming more interested in finding other ways of cheering him up than actually helping him get over whatever was keeping him from running out to Kai.

Both conscious occupants felt an explosive outburst of rage as they turn to see Ryuta stumble onto his stomach, pressing his hands against the futon as he uses his back as a car jack to haul the blanket wide enough for him to crawl out.

"Kill him...." he seethed as his arms trembled from their weakened and pained state, "I'm gonna kill him.... I'm gonna beat him to a pulp and make him cry uncle...!"

Ryuta's aggravated eyes were fixed on both buddies, at first giving off the impression that he was infuriated by the lack of attention they were giving to the slowly crumbling squad. But upon deeper concentration, they realize his spiritual focus was on the Wings draped around Yatto's shoulders, indicating he was able to see it clear as day; and realizing his figured out the third reason Hajime was trying to barricade him from the rest of the world.

Yatto furrows his eyebrows in panic as he throws his hands behind his back, bunching up the Wings in a vain attempt to hide them while Hajime grits his teeth in worry, about to say something when both felt a pair of shocked and concerned spirits jab into their hearts from outside the house. Turning around, they see Saito and Suzuki stop just outside the roof hanging over the front porch, looking towards them with the sternest face they had seen since their last encounter.

Their focus was on Hajime and the Vermillion robe draped over his uniform, a sense of concern and frustration that indicated one of their worst fears was about to be realized. They then focus on Yatto, their concerned spirits softening slightly to reassurance.

Both he and Hajime cock an eyebrow as they look towards each other in confusion.

"What was that all about?" Hajime asked.

Before Yatto could suggest something, they hear the doorbell ring. Hajime frowns in suspicion as he heads out of the attic, not bothering to take the robe off, and opens the door to reveal Saito and Suzuki staring straight at him; their concerned spirits returning with a hint of pity once their eyes reacquaint for a closer perspective.

"We must talk," Suzuki said as he and Saito push past Hajime, leaving him to watch as they kick their boots off and head upstairs.

"No, come right in," he grumbles irritably as he shuts the door and follows after them, "I don't mind the unwelcomed company."

They stop at the ladder leading to the untouched attic door, sensing Ryuta's increased outburst of irritation which left the impression that he was still fighting to get the blanket off him. The followers' frowns tighten as they turn to Hajime with their fists behind their backs.

"We have been monitoring the current situation of our squad since Ippongi-sama's accident a month ago," Suzuki began, "And it has come to our attention that the longer we let you continue your services to this squad, the more weight you bear on our window of opportunity to stop Yin from casting the nightmares that should remain suppressed within his traumatized mind. Therefore, until the situation is under control, we feel it is in our best interest to expel you from this squad."

Hajime blinks in disbelief, "Expel!? What for!?"

"In the past, we were happy to have a new member that will help bring peace and harmony to a world riddled with stress and anxiety. But after Ippongi-sama's accident, we feel that now may not be the best time for you to try and fit into our daily regime. The recent neglect since that day seems to have led you to believe you are not trying hard enough to gain our respect, driving you to do things that will only put you in more danger than we, ourselves, are unwilling to accept."

He presents his hand towards the robe draped over Hajime's uniform, his frown tightening in frustration and disappointment, "You would even try to make us believe you had been somewhere that no longer exists, further proof that you care more about the spectacle of the squad than the responsibilities that come with it. It was a relief that we arrived sooner and saw you strutting around in something that does not belong to you, otherwise Yin would have mistaken you for another survivor and killed you without confession."

Yatto appears by Hajime's side, unseen by the two followers, "Letting you go is the safest, easiest way to free up the time we need to set things straight and put an end to the turmoil surrounding us."

Hajime tenses up in agitation, "Maybe if you'd at least keep us up to date with what's going on with both squads, instead of keeping them to yourself, I'd be more willing to understand why you're so desperate to get to Ryuta, regardless of what condition he's currently in!"

"That is the other reason we have come here and stated our accusations," Suzuki interjects, ignoring Hajime's irritated statement, "We have reason to believe the confusion caused by our recent neglect is beginning to escalate in the way you handle others' situations. You seem to misinterpret the reason such measures are taken to protect those we cheer to, and have gone to great lengths to insert your own alternatives without even stopping to understand why. Therefore, to protect you and those you hold dearly, we will be taking over Ippongi-sama's recovery and ensuring that his needs are met without others complicating them."

Suzuki's frown tightens in more concern, "It will also be in our best interest that Doumeki-sama's brother comes with us as well so that his needs are met without having to worry about you getting in his way."

Hajime's eyes widen in horror, "Oni-san!? But he-!"

"We are well aware of how timid he is around strangers equal to or older than him; how he tenses up and withholds even the most minor of information until he acquainted them long enough to trust; which is why he is coming with us. If what you say is true and he somehow does have the Wings, he should be with his brother, rekindling their bond and helping him escape Yin's torturous nightmare rather than spend the entire month lingering around your residence and pretending to put up with your overprotective antics."

Yatto's remaining eye widens in sheer horror at what they were suggesting. The way their confidence is brimming in this idea they have of forcing the brothers' reunion, even if Ryuta somehow understands and gets his followers to stop their insane approach they would still think Hajime had something to do with it and either continue insisting they stop worrying about him, or drag Kai straight to his house and "ease" Yatto into regaining his tangibility without even bothering to figure out why he wasn't as in such a hurry to reaffirm their brotherly bond as they had expected.

Hajime's tension flares up in frustration, "You finally decide believe me after this long and the first thing that comes to mind is forcing Oni-san back into Kai's arms!? Do you have any idea why he's even in that state, or why he hasn't flagged down Kai the very second we got away from the dojo!?"

"It matters not what he has gone through in the past month since the accident," Suzuki said, "He knows Ippongi-sama will understand his dilemma and help him get over his turmoil so that he will be ready to break Doumeki-sama from the nightmare Yin has forced him into. Compared to Ippongi-sama's experience and determination, your friendship is nothing more than a hindrance keeping him from accomplishing that feat while saving us all from having to spend the past month worrying about how long Yin will remain determined before one of his more frightening emotions sends him running back home for comfort and security."

Hearing their presumption snaps Yatto out of the fright of being forced back into Kai's arms, causing him to frown in irritation. Upon closer examination of the two followers' confident spirits, he can see sparks of hesitation shooting up around them, which slowly increase the longer they continue to hang around the house; turning this once hopeless dispute between newcomers and old-timers into a desperate attempt at trying to prove why everything has to be done by Ryuta and no one else.

Hajime facepalms in equal irritation of their brashness, "I can't believe I'm even hearing this!" he threw his hand down and glared at Saito and Suzuki, "This entire month since the accident, the lack of comfort towards Kai, the ignorance towards us and the Girls, and the excuses you're making right now, was all because you wanted HIM to fix everything!?"

"Ippongi-sama has seen everything that's happened in the past even before the destruction of the village, and knows what measures to take in order to prevent the rest of the world from suffering the same fate. Therefore, he has taken it upon himself to make sure that the Doumeki brothers are reunited, as well as stop Yin from forcing everyone to accept a nightmare as the peaceful future he thinks they deserve."

"And you don't think I've already accomplished that by helping Oni-san find that secret route and watching him put the Wings on before Yin even realized we were there!?"

"The only thing you've accomplished is obstruct Ippongi-sama's chances of ensuring everything goes accordingly. There is a reason he decided to inform you of what this squad is facing, and you should not take it as an excuse to corrupt his vows with your own involvement."

"Corru-!?" Hajime just about tenses up in offense, "I didn't even hear Ryuta claim he wants to be the only person to fix everything those demented brothers caused up until now! All I'm getting right now is you two getting all iffy over a newcomer suddenly showing up and slicing off half of what he originally intended to accomplish while making up excuses to-!"

"Tanaka-san, be reasonable!" Suzuki snaps, causing Hajime to flinch from his agitated spirit, "Are you so desperate to draw attention to yourself that you endanger your entire family, whom you neglected to inform the very day you joined this squad!?"

Hajime's eyes widen even more at the horrifying realization of what he was trying to muscle his way into, "Did it ever occur to you what would happen if Yin found out you were still alive despite seeing you drown in that quicksand!? Not only would he finish the job, he will hunt down your entire family and kill them all to ensure your spirit is not rekindled into a new body! Why do you think Doumeki-sama's brother continues to approve of your accusations despite what we have seen!? Because he cares about you too much to see you continue putting yourself in danger for the sake of proving your worth to the squad!"

Yatto's eyebrows begin to twitch in more irritation as he continues to listens to Suzuki's hasty accusations and talk downs, "He yearns to be with his brother again, yet he is afraid to even leave your side, knowing it will only draw you into following after him just to make sure that goal is carried out; which is why we are taking him away from you for the duration of this dilemma. With our experiences in the knowledge and awareness of what's going on with the brothers and the future they are intending to trample, he will have less reason to worry about you defying the safety of your family in favor of proving to us why you deserve to be among our ranks!"

Yatto's twitching escalates to his entire body trembling in outrage at what he had been hearing since the two followers barged in and began verbally stomping Hajime to the ground. Even though he could see why they would want to hurry things along, Yin being so unpredictable he could lose his nerves at any moment and run straight for the Spirit Gate in a last ditch effort to save and gain the Fire Birds' trust, it still didn't give them the motive to show up and blame Hajime for unintentionally ruining Ryuta's chances of setting things straight.

What's worse is their brimming confidence in everything they have said, so sure he'll choose Ryuta's experience over the friendship that got him this far they didn't even bother asking him for opinions, knowing he would lie to them for the sake of protecting Hajime.

As if adding fire to the already burning irritants in his soul, Yatto sensed the two followers focusing on him, not only letting him know they were aware of his presence, but also imbuing him with more reassurance. Neither of them bothered to figure out why he was this irritated with their accusations; most likely thinking he was acting this way because he was upset that Hajime was going to take it personally and put himself in more danger to try and prove he has as much right to be involved in the squad's problems as everyone else. This only hardened the cement of their incompetence to trust no one but the man who inspired them to want to follow his every move since the day they met.

_Experience is stronger than friendship, is that it...?_ he mutters in offense.

Ryuta stops struggling to lift the blanket upon hearing Yatto's echoing voice seconds before a Mastiff-size mass of weight slams onto his back; squashing him back on the futon, and knocking what little strength he mustered in hauling an opening for himself to crawl out of, before the weight fades away. He drags himself onto his elbows and turns his head as far as he could to see the irritated ghost standing on top of him with an agitated smirk in his otherwise worried face; his transparent feet fazed through his back from standing on it too long.

"What're you...!?" Ryuta grunts before a ghostly foot slams his face into his pillow.

_'Trust your experience'...? Just because you were there when the village was destroyed and saw the old man making off with the Wings that were meant to help rekindle the brotherly bond I share with Kai...?_ Yatto seethed as his foot fazes through Ryuta's head, pulling it out and slamming it onto his back to keep him from getting back up, _Two days before the fiasco that destroyed the village and twelve years following it the only thing I got out of you was a vow that you will fix everything by the time you're old enough to leave that orphanage...!_

His foot starts to sink into Ryuta's back as he pulls the other out and stomps on it again, jarring a pained grunt out of him, _And yet you got every single member of your squad so CONFIDENT with your supernatural abilities that they think you're the ONLY PERSON who can stop this fiasco from becoming our impending future...! Forget the fact that the village was forced to abandon their children for fear the old man would find and kill them; forget the fact that I couldn't see my brother for TEN WHOLE YEARS before encountering someone who did more than understand the turmoil I was going through; because ALL of that is going to go away the very second YOU stop the old man from marching into this city with whatever dignity is still left in his deranged, theistic mind...! _

Ryuta musters what little strength he had left to pull himself in a propped position on his elbows, lifting his head from the pillow he was smothered against, "I...It's not-!" he's interrupted by another foot shoving his face back on the pillow, knocking his elbows out from under him.

_Oh-ho it sure as hell seems that way after spending the entire month watching how your squad reacted when we told them what the old man was going to do BEFORE showing them what drove him into that state...! _Yatto growled, _In fact, your absentminded followers were so DETERMINED to make sure no one BUT YOU took care of everything that they tried to pin this entire month of fret and turmoil on Hajime SOLELY because he was there when I found and put the Wings on, and was the only person ASIDE FROM YOU who can still see them...!_

He stomps his foot back on Ryuta's back and grabs the tails of his bandana, pulling his face out of the pillow, _And let me tell you...after hearing their brash, hasty interpretation of what made me stay with Hajime, WITHOUT EVEN __**ASKING ME**__ IF ALL THAT WAS TRUE, I've just about HAD ENOUGH of being THROWN INTO THE BACKGROUND and TREATED like I was some caricature hanging off your wall...!_

Ryuta's face falls back on the pillow as Yatto stood in font of the shelves containing the restraining blankets, _They want me to choose between experience and friendship...?_ he pulls out one of the rolls, its number obscured and hard to identify, _I'll give them an answer...._ he then turns and glares at Ryuta while holding the blanket over his head, _AND THEY ARE __**GOING**__ TO __**RESPECT IT!!!**_

* * *

Suzuki looks towards the black, mildly spiky hair laying limp around Hajime's head, "Your hair has grown so long since the accident; we almost didn't recognize you when we showed up a few weeks ago."

Hajime places his hand on his head, feeling the outer fabric of his white glove rub against their soft, well-conditioned locks as his furrowed eyebrows tighten in distraught at the remorseful tone of Suzuki's voice, "A perfect way to blend back into the crowd if you are not seen in uniform; no one will ever know you were a part of this squad."

Hajime grips a clump of his hair between his fingers before combing them out and dropping his hand down like the ball hanging off a kendama as the two followers turn and head up the ladder into the attic, finding Ryuta laying flat on his back, breathing heavily from the stomp fest earlier; though in Saito and Suzuki's case he appeared to have fought himself to near exhaustion trying to get the blanket off him.

The two stop on either side of him, seeing him tremble as he tries to say something only to muster enough energy to exhale a few weakened huffs and coughs. Believing he was trying to berate them for not pulling him out sooner, they sharply bow towards him in an act of apology.

"Our apologies, Ippongi-sama," Suzuki said, "We've had some 'inconsistencies' with the wellbeing of your health. But we assure you it will never happen again."

They stand straight and look over to Hajime, who's standing behind Suzuki with his arms limp at his sides, looking at the floor and appearing too distraught to say anything; then back at the blanket covering Ryuta, staring at the "150lbs" label sowed in the center. The second their backs were turned, Hajime felt something fall against his back, looking behind him to see one of the restraining blankets leaning against him and a strange glow fading behind him.

Saito and Suzuki, completely oblivious to what was just given to Hajime, look to each other before nodding in acceptance and crouching down to Ryuta, grabbing the corners of the blanket and using their combined strength to effortlessly lift it off him and throw it to the side, releasing a near wood-shattering clank as they land on the shelf containing more of the same blankets.

Hajime looks up after a moment, seeing Ryuta stumble onto his stomach as he pours what little strength Yatto gratefully left him with to get onto his feet.

"W-wait...what're you doing!?" he asked, exasperated.

"It is no longer your concern, Tanaka-san," Suzuki said, not looking over to the concerned boy, "Leave us and never look back. It'll help you readapt to your normal life...."

"You're just going to stand there and do nothing!?" Hajime exasperates more, "He can hardly stand on his hands and knees! He's in no condition to-!"

"I appreciate your concern, Tanaka-san," Suzuki interrupts, "But Ippongi-sama's true strength is in his spirit, something you have neglected to comprehend when you found him those many days ago. As you can see before you, Ippongi-sama's determination to help those in need drives his will to continue fighting regardless of what condition he is currently in; and as long as he continues to fuel that determination, no amount of pain or weakness will keep him from putting a stop to Yin's crusading rampage and ensuring he never tries to force his views of peace upon the world."

Hajime looks between him and Ryuta, who manages to get onto his hands and knees while gritting his teeth in deafening pain and torment. What he sensed as the ailing leader continues to pull himself to his feet, however, was not what Suzuki had been forcing him to expect.

Rather than be cluttered with thoughts about leaving the residence and chasing after Yin, his entire focus was jabbed towards the occupants in the room; wanting to beat the two followers' heads together and throw them at Hajime, while at the same time desperate to get away from the attic before he gets caught and subjected to the same hazing that reduced him back to his weakened state.

Suzuki gives one final glance to the distraught look on Hajime's face before turning his full, undivided focus back onto Ryuta, expressing one last apology before opting to ignore anymore of his complaints, "I'm sorry, Tanaka-san...it's for the best...."

Hajime continues to stare at the two before slumping his shoulders and looking to the floor, "Yeah...so is this...."

Just then, they hear the sound of chains raining on the floor, and by the time they turned to see where it came from, Hajime whips out the blanket resting against his back and flaps it down towards Ryuta.

"Oh no...." he squeaks as he scrambles onto his back and threw his hands and feet up in a vain attempt to shove it away. But the effort fails as the base slams against them seconds before the eerily heavier weights of the corners crash down around him, sandwiching him flat against the futon.

Saito and Suzuki freaked as they scramble to the other side of Ryuta's flattened state; grabbing each other as they shook with hysteria while staring at the new blanket Hajime threw on top of him, same design, only this time it had a yellow "200lbs" stitched in the center, indicating this blanket is 50lbs heavier than the last. Eyes wide with fright, they creak their heads back towards Hajime.

"Wh...what're you doing, Tanaka-san!?" Suzuki squeaks.

"For the best?" Hajime said, suddenly leering with nonchalant, yet tantalizing eyes as he places his fists behind his back, "And what makes you think I should trust your take on what's best when all you did in the past month is continue to follow along Kai's performance, giving him no reassurance that everything will not fall in Yin's favor and waiting until he's nearing the breaking point before finally deciding to show up to state why you think Ryuta is the only person who knows how to fix everything that's happened in the past!?"

Ryuta glares at Hajime, a hint of hesitation in his agitated spirit, as the followers scoot away from him in hesitation of his tantalizing aura, "Well let me tell you feather-brained buffoons something. I don't give a flying crap how strong your leader's spirit is; I found him first, and sacrificed half a day's practicing with my cheerleading and Thai boxing skills to get him into the current condition he's in, and I'll be damn if I'm going to give him up to you just so you can stand in the background and watch him take on a deranged old man who is 100-times his health!"

The two followers huddled closer together as Hajime's aura starts to grow to twice his size, "I only increased the weight of the blankets by 50lbs because you at least had the decency to tell me about the possible threat I might be pulling my family into for continuing my services in this squad. But if I so much as sense you two sneaking into the attic to take that blanket off, your leader will be spending the rest of his recovery with 100 more pounds thrown on top of him; tackle me to the floor or lock me out of the attic and the weights double; then none of us can get it off until we all agree that he's well enough to stand on his own two feet!"

"Y-You're crazy...!" Suzuki panics, trying to sound like he had the upper hand on Hajime's plans to keep Ryuta down, "You can't possibly be able to lift that much and get it on him! We'll be gone long before you get it off the shelf!"

_He's right you know...._ mutters a voice. Everyone turns to the shelves to see Yatto standing in front of the them with his usual worried expression, _This whole 'drilling the message' idea is getting a little out of hand.... Someone's bound to get hurt doing this...._

Hajime hesitates at where Yatto is getting at, "Oni-san, you're not seriously thinking-!?"

_I'm sorry, Hajime, but I'm afraid they have a point...._ Yatto mutters, his furrowed eyebrows tightening as if anticipating the heartache that was about to follow, _We're not achieving anything just standing here and stopping them from doing what they think is best for us all...It's dangerous and you shouldn't be pushing yourself too the point where they'll have more reasons to kick you out of the squad...._

Hearing Yatto's lecture rekindles the followers' confidence as they break away from each other and turn to Hajime, standing tall and stern with their fists behind their backs.

"Do you see now the severity of our current situation?" Suzuki asked, watching Hajime look like he was about to break down into tears over Yatto's betrayal, "Now that he knows why we are more capable of handling his needs, he has agreed to put an end to everything you have been trying to do to keep us from doing what is best for this squad and the future we are fighting to maintain; proof that no amount of whining or complaining you do will ever convince us that your opinions are more important than what we have experienced since the day this squad was formed."

Yatto lowers his head a bit, _Yeah...._ He then pulls out another rolled up blanket and holds it up in front of him as it unravels to reveal a staggering "800lbs" label in dark red, _So let's save these two the whole squat and throw ordeal and just lay it on him...! You know it's going to escalate to that sooner or later...._

The two followers' eyes nearly shot out of their sockets at the very sight of the label as they yell in fright and nearly choke each other hugging so tightly they appear to be gay; while Ryuta's hysteria shot up over just how pissed off Yatto really is at being ignored at everything but his need to help Kai reel from his trauma.

Saito and Suzuki stare at each other before slowly twirling around and bowing sharply to Ryuta, "Sorry, Ippongi-sama.... It's for the best...."

"WHAT!?" Ryuta shouts in English as the two practically slide around him before turning and bolting down the attic ladder and out the house. He shoots his glare back to Hajime as he sports a taunting smirk.

"Sorry, Ryu-kun," he snickers as Yatto stood at his side with the same expression on his trademark, worried face, "But it looks like friendship outweighs experience more than either of you think."

Ryuta snarls in outrage as Hajime looks over to Yatto, "So, shall we be on our way to Vermillion? I'll treat you to some lunch before we begin flight lessons."

Yatto returns the gesture, _Gladly; I'm starving...!_

Ryuta's snarls in sheer aggravation as the two turn and head down the attic, holding their fists behind their backs while burning with victorious confidence, before pounding at the blanket in a raging fit to throw it off and chase after them. But as everything that's happened in the past starts to sink into his enraged mind, his last remaining ally, willpower, eventually starts to turn on him as well, stealing away his frustrated energy as his fits start to slow to mere pushes against the blanket before he finally falls limp on his back, seething gasps of anger until he once again passes out from exhaustion.

* * *

After stepping off the ladder and pushing it back up to the ceiling, Hajime looks over to the mirror in the bathroom, staring at his limp, spiky hair a while before heading inside for a closer look.

_Your hair has grown so long since the accident; we almost didn't recognize you when we showed up,_ Suzuki's voice rang in his mind, _A perfect way to blend back into the crowd if you are not seen in uniform; no one will ever know you were a part of this squad._

Hajime balls his fist in irritation at the recapping of Suzuki's words earlier. He originally wanted to re-grow his hair so he can appear more unique to the squad. But after seeing them misinterpret the decision as a flustering act of freeing up time to tend to Ryuta and his own needs he began to have second thoughts about letting it grow any longer.

He grabs the electric shaver and checks the batteries before turning on the tap and drenching his hair under it, turning the shaver on and running it through his hair as locks rained down on the sink until all that remains is the dark gray bristles covering the back of his head.

After cleaning up the mess again, he heads into his room, grabs the emblem-stamped bandana, and ties it around his forehead as a sign of his determination to prove to the squad that he wasn't going to stay in the background and accept his place as a know nothing newcomer trying to get in their way.

With everything back in order, Hajime heads down to the front door, kicks his boots on and heads out to meet up with Yatto back at Vermillion Village.

* * *

Kai staggers back to the dojo later that afternoon, his entire body trembling in distraught and fright over everything he had gone through during the day.

Everyone he responds to keeps calling him a hero despite the realization that he was nothing more than another human being that will eventually be calling someone else to save him and the world he thought he could protect. And the more they continue to look up to him for hope, the more terrified he becomes of the shunning he will receive once Yin hits the entire world with that reality.

Kai could no longer stand it. He was never meant to be a hero to begin with; he just wants to make people happy through cheering and encouragement. And yet they still burn with that sense of confidence in his abilities whenever he crosses their paths in the city; believing him to be the only human being in existence who can take on a true God without faltering.

No, he doesn't want to face God; he doesn't want the world to realize that he was nothing compared to Him and turn their praise into scorn; he just wants to be a normal person shoving people in the right direction when they need it the most. Why can't they understand that and treat him as such so they can save themselves the shock of realizing who they should really be pledging their gratitude to.

There was only one way to put an end to this nightmare before it escalates to the exact future Yin has foreseen; he must break away from the surviving members of Ryuta's squad and return to the old ways, using everything his master taught him to convince the world that he was just another human being trying to enlighten their darkening days. The last of the squad can go about acting like heroes all they want; at least when Yin does keep his word of turning the entire world against those who still believe in hope, Kai will at least be forgiven for leading them down a path he considers to lead to damnation.

After hastily tearing his modern uniform off and throwing on his black, white dotted, samurai-like uniform, Kai makes his way to the study, preparing to bow before Yin and beg for his forgiveness only to stumble upon a gruesome sight.

There was a large puddle of blood seeped into the tatami mat, and the chest Yin had been caressing and praying to is wide open and bare. There was no note or sign of struggle; just a fire-shaped rosary beaded necklace and a peacock feather-shaped key hanging off the front.

Kai's eyes widen in sheer horror; could Yin have finally succeeded in throwing the Wings onto his shoulders; killing himself in order to make them useful to his needs? His entire body trembles in sheer horror at the thought of the world calling for him to deal with a disaster no human or God could comprehend, and Yin standing before it with the Wings flapping in the dark winds of the future, using a single finger to vanquish it into oblivion.

Just thinking about it instills a sense of devastation in his heart as he drops to his knees, believing he had arrived too late to beg for forgiveness and escape becoming coal to fuel the wrath of those who will undoubtedly worship Yin for destroying the first disaster that threatens them. How will he be able to redeem himself now that Yin is about to achieve his one grand dream of a future where he is the supreme savior of the universe everyone will worship and obey forever?


End file.
